50 First Kisses and Counting
by CrimsonShocker
Summary: A collection of one-shots and drabbles that center around a universal theme: Cloud and Tifa's First Kiss. Each chapter will be a different take on how Cloud and Tifa declare their love for each other. Requests and prompts welcome! R&R.
1. No Words Needed

**A/N**: So this is my first attempt at a FFVII fiction collection. I hope I don't disappoint. I am pretty well immersed in this fandom so I don't think I will be straying too far off of canon very often. So this is a whack at a CloTi fic. I think that I am going to make this into a collection of drabbles and one shots, each chapter with a new prompt about Cloud and Tifa's first kiss. Let's see how this goes. R&R, because I really need some feedback to know if people are enjoying my work and if I need to continue it or 'nip it in the bud' before it gets out of control. Lol

**BTW**: I am taking requests for prompts. I know that a lot of people do this, but it's hard to come up with bunches of prompts for the same theme and have everyone like them for originality. So, feel free to leave me a review or PM me if there is something that you would like me to write on. The continuing theme is _**Cloud and Tifa's First Kiss**_. So I am going to need a bunch of different scenarios that people want to see Cloud and Tifa have their first kiss. Some of these will be lemons, others limes, and some just sweet/innocent little drabbles.

**Disclaimer**: Clearly I do not own any of the FFVII characters, locations, spells, weapons, or anything else in Gaia that is clearly not mine. They belong to Square Enix. I have made a few tweaks to the canon, but nothing major.

**Warning**: This one-shot is rated a strong T or a soft M for language, innuendos, and mild sexual situations, no lemons yet, but those will come later.

**Timeline and Location**: This takes place at the 7th Heaven bar a few weeks to a month after the incidents in Advent Children.

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For years she has watched him. She has witnessed him grow from that scrawny, shy, awkward, slate-eyed chocobo stable boy from quaint little Neibelheim into the strong, stubborn, agile, mako-luminescent blue-eyed ex-SOLDIER that he is today.

To say that she is proud of him for being as stoic as he is…is an understatement. He has been through just about every kind of mental torture that there is in Gaia. He has lost his family to the war while he was away training, Zack to Shinra while he lay paralyzed nearby, Aerith to Sephiroth when he was just steps away from rescuing her, and his own sanity went with it all. Personally, _she_ would have gone bat-shit crazy by now and probably ended her life.

It wasn't until after Cloud defeated Sephiroth for the third time that the ex-SOLDIER was finally able to receive a little inner peace. But he had been rather distant lately, never really saying much other than what needed to be said. It was starting to worry the dark-haired woman. 'At least those damn remnants were good for something in that they triggered him to forgive himself for the things he couldn't change and open his eyes to everything that was really in front of him.' She thought to herself silently, as she ran the soft towel over the glass she was drying for the night at 7th Heaven.

'Well, almost everything…'

What he hadn't realized was just how deeply Tifa now felt for him, had always felt for him. They had always been like brother and sister, but over the course of the last decade, she was beginning to feel that maybe there was something more to her emotions regarding Cloud. Nights when he wouldn't come home, or nights where it was storming like crazy she would worry herself sick wondering where he was. Every time even the slightest pain or discomfort was caused for him, she was concerned. She was beginning to worry about herself with these thoughts for they were interfering with her work and sleep patterns.

Luckily, her thoughts were interrupted as her bar-full customers for the night began to congregate around the large plasma T.V. in the venue that currently smelled of cleaning solution and cinnamon air freshener. It was only a matter of time before it would begin to reek of cigarette smoke, sweat, and liquor. She sighed as she set the last glass on the shelf below the alcohol and grabbed her pencil and notepad to begin taking orders once again. It was game night, 3rd quarter to be exact, and the business was booming.

As the first customer approached the bar, she gasped slightly in surprise at the identity of the spiky-haired man clad in leather and wool, his boots heavy on the wooden planks below. 'He never comes into the bar on busy nights, and never this early…something has to be wrong.'

"Cloud?" she inquired.

He looked up to meet her eyes, mako-blue mixing with amber-brown, "Tifa…"

She smiled slightly; setting her notepad back on the counter, "So, Cloud, what brings you into one of your least favorite atmospheres on one of the busiest nights of the week at the busiest time of the evening? Don't you have deliveries to make?" she asked as she crossed her arms, giving him the same look she had given him in Aerith's church when he was brought back after defeating the remnants.

He sighed softly before letting a slight smirk quirk at the right corner of his mouth, "I was in the neighborhood and my last orders at Sector 5 were canceled."

She smiled lightly, "So, you figured you would come here and keep me company…?" she asked teasingly.

He smirked deeper at the hopeful look on her young face, "Sure…" he trailed off.

She placed a look of mock-insult on her face, "Sure?! I'm not even worthy of a 'yes' or an 'of course, Tifa, dear?' I'm offended."

He chuckled softly at her staged outburst, allowing a gentle smile to grace his sharp features. He laid his gloved hands palm-down on the counter and lifted himself to a standing position. "Well, how about you let me make it up to you," he leapt agilely over the counter to the aisle behind, "I'll make you a drink."

She stared for a moment, trying to decide how to react to this. Cloud was never this good-humored or playful. 'What has gotten into him all of a sudden?'

"Okay…" she said hesitantly, not sure what to make of this situation.

"So, what will it be? Cum in a Hot Tub? Blowjob? Screaming Orgasm? Sex on the Beach?" he listed suggestively.

Tifa couldn't help but blush slightly and laugh nervously at the list of drink offers, knowing they were all drinks that she had served at one point or another, "Hmm…how about we start with a Caribbean Kiss?"

Cloud rolled his eyes and sighed in exasperation, "Always playing it safe, Tifa…" he said while grabbing the dark rum and Kahlua.

She giggled at his antics, "I'm sorry if I want to save the more 'risqué' beverages until we have consumed enough to not blush at the names."

Cloud quirked a blonde brow as he peered at her from behind his honey-colored bang, "Who's blushing? Are you intimidated by my bartending?" he inquired humorously as he began shaking the liquor with ice in the mixer.

Her eyes widened slightly, "Cloud, what has gotten into you? You are never like this. Either you are in a really good mood or you are already buzzed. Have you been smoking weed with Cid again?" she questioned, her hands on her hips.

He did something that she hadn't seen him do in years. He threw his head back and let out a full-fledged laugh, not a chuckle, not a snicker: A genuine, heart-rattling laugh. Her eyes widened even more if possible. "Tifa, of course not. I will never make that mistake again. I was sick for 3 days off of that shit."

Her jaw dropped slightly at the four-lettered word that had eased its way back into his vocabulary, something else that she hadn't witnessed in several years. "Then what is it…?" she asked, serious this time, as she sat on a barstool behind the counter.

He finished the beverages, pouring them into two glasses and sliding one her way. Taking a swig of his and grinning at the warm feeling sliding down his throat, he locked his eyes on hers. "You know, I really don't know. I feel lighter for some reason…"

She smirked slightly, "It's all that dilly-dallying again," she remarked jokingly before tipping her head back and taking a giant swig of her beverage.

He smiled at the memory, remembering that day in the center of town where they had fought the Bahamut. His face started to go serious again as he finished his drink, rinsing the glass out in the sink. "You know what? I think it is."

She stopped her glass before it returned to her mouth, setting it back on the bar, and staring at him, "What…?"

Cloud leapt over the bar again and pulled up a stool across from her, sitting himself down after pouring another drink. He took a small sip and set his elbows on the counter using his gloved hands as a place to rest his face. He pulled his eyebrows up to meet her concerned gaze, her brandy-colored eyes searching his own oceanic orbs for some clue as to his meaning. He sighed softly before answering her, "Since we fought the remnants I have slowly begun to feel a change in me. It was something I couldn't quite figure out at first and it bothered me so much. I knew that I felt a sense of inner peace, but there was something else…something that didn't have to do with my suffering or my own selfish loathing. It took me a while to figure out what exactly it was. That's why I have been so distant these past few weeks. For that I'm sorry. I just had to figure this out on my own."

Tifa locked onto his eyes, bearing into them with a calculating stare that made him feel slightly nervous under her gaze. She hummed in thought, "So you have come to a realization? That's new for you, Cloud. Usually it is me having to pound reality into your skull."

He allowed a small smirk to slide over his lips, "I know, right?"

There was a long and heavy silence as they sat in contemplative reverie. Tifa finished her drink in one gulp and began to rinse the glass out. After placing the glass on the shelf she turned to check on her patrons but was stopped unexpectedly. She gasped softly when she realized that Cloud had stopped her by firmly gripping her right elbow in his strong leather-clad hand. "Tifa, wait…" he breathed in a whisper, barely loud enough for her to catch.

She blinked in shock before sitting back on the stool and leaning towards him to peak under his bangs, trying to catch a glimpse of his eyes. "Cloud, what's the matter? Is something wrong?"

He sighed for the millionth time. She brought her hand forward, placing her fingertips under his chin, gently lifting his eyes to meet hers for the fifth time that day. This time, instead of the usual sorrow, they held a different emotion, one that she had never seen in his eyes before, even when they were children before all of this. She saw, mixed in with the other swirling emotions of fear, apprehension, indecision, and reluctance…true and undiluted longing.

She raised her eyebrows when she noticed that he was pulling at the leather that encased his battle-worn hands. She breathed in sharply as she noticed the many scars that adorned his left palm and the telltale barcode tattooed on the back of his right wrist as he slid his longer glove off. The memento he had from the 4 years that he was used as an experiment in Hojo's lab nearly a decade ago.

"Cloud…" she breathed as she felt his deceptively warm, soft hands coming to grip the sides of her bare shoulders firmly.

She heard him shush her softly, closing his eyes again and dropping his head, his grip still firm. "There is so much that I need to say," he whispered almost inaudibly, "but I don't think I can yet…"

Tifa felt a part of her cringe slightly, mildly wounded that he couldn't confide in her with whatever he needed to say. She dropped her own head slightly, closing her eyes in resignation. "Then don't…" she whispered back.

His grip on her shoulders tightened as he felt her tense under his palms. That was all the emotion he required from her to decide what he needed to do. He would not have her mourning over his inability to communicate with anyone anymore. She had been by his side from Day 1, and she had never given up on him, even when he had given up on himself. She was the only living person that had ever heard him curse, ever seen him laugh, ever held him in her arms…even if it had been over a decade ago. He was not going to let one more person leave his life without knowing how much they meant to him. He had already lost his family, best friend, and the woman he _thought_ he loved. He was not going to lose Tifa this time…the woman he _knew_ he loved.

"Tifa…don't go," he whispered, "It's true, I can't tell you yet; But I want to show you."

Tifa's face bore a look of utter confusion as she frowned slightly, not knowing what to make of this. All should could do was gasp in surprise when she felt herself being pitched forward across the bar, her elbows and forearms flat against the glass top, Clouds toned arms wrapping around her back. She could feel his hot breath against her left ear as he breathed, "Trust me, please, Tifa."

She nodded tensely, feeling his hot, smooth right hand come up to cup the back of her neck, burying itself in the bottom of her hairline, his other hand gripping the back of her right elbow. She shuddered at his heated touch on her cool skin, his bated breath on her ear, the way he was holding her so close. She didn't know what to expect next but she didn't have to wait long to find out. She could feel him slowly starting to pull back, so she started to retreat as well, only to be held in place firmly by both of his hands. She frowned in confusion yet again and opened her mouth to protest, but was quickly silenced by the heat of his feather soft lips grazing over her sensitive cheekbone. "C-Cloud…?"

"Tifa…just be quiet."

And with those words he slid his lips to ghost over hers once before covering her petite mouth with his own eager one, moaning into it as a feeling overtook him that he had never experienced before. She gasped in utter surprise, and he took the parting of her lips as the perfect opportunity to slide his tongue slowly past her bottom lip and softly against her own. She let out a strangled whimper as all of her senses were assaulted. His scent was musky like vanilla as their noses bumped against each other when the kiss deepened progressively. She could here the tense breaths he was letting out and the low groans dying in his throat as she began to respond to his advances, opening her mouth and closing it back over his own.

She could feel him pulling her further forward, so she tucked her legs in, allowing him to pull her body across the bar, seating her to straddle his lap, never breaking the kiss. The proximity was intoxicating as she buried her left hand in his silky spikes and rested her other hand against his pulse point on his neck. His heart was racing.

She instinctively wrapped her knees around his hips and hooked her ankles together, thankful that there was no back on this stool. She could feel his arms tightening around her upper back as he continued to kiss her deeply, running his tongue over her bottom lip gently. She moved her right hand to rest on his toned chest, hard from all of his training and battles. This was incredibly surreal. There was no way that _she_, Tifa Lockhart, was finally getting everything that she had desired.

She felt his left hand trail down her side and come to rest atop her right thigh, almost at her knee. She shivered from the feel of his slick tongue flicking across the corner of her mouth. She gathered enough courage and nipped lightly at his bottom lip, catching it between her straight teeth. He elicited a cross between a gasp and a moan, clutching tightly at her hip with his right hand.

When the kiss finally broke, they sat there for a long while; their foreheads pressed against each other's, their hands slithering to clasp, their fingers lacing and intertwining, in silence. Nothing but the sounds of their breathing could be heard, a light panting noise as they tried to catch their breath.

It wasn't until they heard the catcalls and whistles that they allowed themselves to smirk silently, Cloud pressing a final, soft kiss to Tifa's now swollen lips before helping her off of his lap. No words were exchanged as she went back behind the bar, her face beet red, and Cloud saluted the now full bar as they all raised their glasses to him, still whistling and catcalling. He chuckled nervously, reaching up to massage the back of his neck as he blushed slightly. Tifa just smiled at him and winked before tossing him his gloves and starting on the next drink order. She knew she wouldn't be able to think straight for the rest of the night. But that didn't matter…

They both understood the meaning behind that kiss. Cloud was right. No words were needed.

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A/N: Well, I hope y'all liked it. Please leave a review and let me know what you thought. Also, I strongly encourage you to leave a prompt for me in a review or PM me if there is a specific setting/location/scenario that you would like to see these two declare their unspoken love for one another. Please no flames. I understand that things aren't exactly as they are in canon, but then, isn't that what fan fiction is for???


	2. I Just Want to Feel You

**A/N: **I am taking requests for prompts. So, feel free to leave me a review or PM me if there is something that you would like me to write on. The continuing theme is _**Cloud and Tifa's First Kiss**_. So I am going to need a bunch of different scenarios that people want to see Cloud and Tifa have their first kiss. Some of these will be lemons, others limes, and some just sweet/innocent little drabbles.

**Disclaimer**: Clearly I do not own any of the FFVII characters, locations, spells, weapons, or anything else in Gaia that is clearly not mine. They belong to Square Enix. I have made a few tweaks to the canon, but nothing major.

**Warning**: This one-shot is rated a strong M for violence, course language, and strong sexual content. The words in _italics_ are Tifa's thoughts. Cloud is going to be a bit OOC in the piece, but I think that it is still possible that he would act this way if all the right buttons were pushed.

**Timeline and Location**: This takes place at the 7th Heaven bar a few weeks to a month after the incidents in Advent Children.

**Special** **Thanks**: This is a request sent to me by a fellow writer _**Shinodaluva**_ last night along with some brilliant ideas for this collection. Thanks! :)

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~***I Just Want to Feel You***~

Rainy nights were always unnerving to her, but stormy ones were the worst, the crashes of thunder reverberating throughout the steel structure, lightning flashing across the windowpanes. She lay, tossing about in her bed, pillow over her head, sheets wrapped tightly around her clammy form clad only in black spandex boy-shorts and a thin white tank top.

Finally, knowing that her attempt at sleep was futile, she rose to a sitting position, tossing her pillow onto the floor and throwing the sheets off of her trembling body, covered in a light sheen of sweat from exhaustion and desperation. _Just another one of these nights, I guess_.

Sliding her body across the mattress, she rested her bare feet lightly on the frigid floor, the polished wood hard beneath them. Standing, she wrapped her lean arms around herself, shivering from both the chill and her own anxiety. She walked to her closet and pulled out a thin, blue-cotton night robe, slipping it on and tying it loosely at her waist before opening her bedroom door and walking down the hall. She peeked silently into the children's room, smirking softly as she realized that they were both still deeply asleep, apparently unfazed by the violent thunderstorm around them.

Sighing to herself as she shut the heavy bedroom door, stifling the sounds of the slumbering kids, she turned to descend the staircase. _Maybe a midnight snack will ease my nerves a bit_.

Upon entering the empty bar, abandoned for the night due to the inclement weather, she found herself immersed in the blackness of 7th Heaven. She reached to flip the switch that lit the area only to click it up and down several times, coming to the irritating realization that the power was down. Groaning to herself, she crossed her arms over her chest leaning against the bar. She waited for lightning to brighten the room once again before reaching beneath the countertop and pulling out her stash of granola bars she kept beneath the register for when she needed a pick-me-up during a busy service.

Pulling the wrapper back on the chocolaty sweet treat, she bit down on the corner, crunching the chewy edible in her mouth before swallowing. Pulling out her barstool, she plopped down on it in a less-than-graceful fashion, tucking her right leg under her and leaning an elbow on the bar top. _Violent storm, power is out, Cloud's out doing God knows what, the kids are sleeping like the dead, and I'm paranoid…figures_.

As she finished her snack, she reached beneath the counter again, retrieving a clean glass from the shelf and padding over to the tap. Filling it halfway with water, she gulped the clear fluid silently, tossing her wrapper in the garbage. Resting her glass on the counter top, she shoved her box of granola bars back beneath the register.

Lightning flashed again, but this time, something was illuminated outside of the door. She squinted her eyes, fighting to get a clear visual of the figure. It disappeared into the rain once more.

She shook her head to try to clear her mind. _I must be seeing things. This is what I get for being up so late_.

Just as she turned to leave, grabbing her glass from the counter, she heard the creaking of the floorboards outside the front door. Stopping dead in her tracks, she turned her head slightly and glanced towards the source of concern. The lightning flashed on the figure, casting a shadow over it's cloaked form behind the wet courtesy window in the oak door. She turned her body back to face it head-on; she took a few tentative steps behind the bar. Just as she reached the place she had been standing earlier the door rattled as someone tried to turn the handle, the echoes bouncing off of the empty room ominously.

Suddenly the door began to shake violently with the force of the intruder before slamming open and banging against the wall with a loud rattling sound. Tifa darted behind the counter and stooped low enough to watch the intruder's feet enter the empty bar. Panic coursed through her as she tried to think of a proper course of action. _It isn't every day someone tries to break into my bar_!

She watched as the assailant slammed the door shut again, locking it behind him. _I have to protect the kids_!

Tifa waited until he is close enough to be within her reach before she leapt across the glass counter top and roundhouse kicked the intruder in the head, sending him flying into the nearest table. He rose after a few moments and appeared to reach into his cloak for something. Tifa didn't wait to find out what it is, fearing a firearm or dagger, and lunged at him again, sending him down with a dropkick to the side of the head.

He stumbled backwards into the doorframe as she charged him once again, planting her feet against his chest and grabbing the front of his cloak. She flipped them both through the air before slamming him into the ground, landing on top of him, her legs straddling his chest, knees pressing his shoulders into the hard wood floor. She raised her fists to deal a near fatal blow to his jaw when she heard a familiar voice piercing the heavy, moist air. "Tifa! Stop!"

She frowned for a minute before lowering her fist and squinting down at the figure below. Reaching out slowly and hesitantly, she found the edge of the cloak's hood, hooking her lean fingers around it firmly. Taking a deep breath, she flung the hood back, revealing none other than a wide-eyed, spiky-haired ex-SOLDIER breathing heavily beneath her tense form, the lightning flashing over his shocked features. "C-Cloud…?"

She immediately reached back and slapped him hard across the face, her eyes blazing in the stormy lights, "Why the hell would you lurk around like that on a stormy night at three in the morning! I could have killed you! I thought someone was breaking in…"

He cringed at the sharp burn on his left cheek and the angry words that poured from Tifa's curled lips. "I-I'm sorry! I thought you were asleep. My key got stuck and I couldn't get the door open."

Breathing a sigh of relief, her body feeling like jelly from the adrenaline rush, she slid herself off of his shoulders, resting her weight on her knees on either side of him. Slapping a hand to her forehead and placing the other on her hip she groaned in irritation. "Gods, you scared me so much."

Cloud attempted to slither out from under her, pulling his upper body to a sitting position and supporting himself with his palms on the floor behind him. "I could tell… You have a mean roundhouse kick, you know that?" he said, rubbing the side of his now stiff neck.

She flushed at the remark and apologized, "I'm sorry. I just panicked and went on instinct. Had to protect the kids, you know?"

He smirked slightly, "At least I don't have to worry about you when I go out to deliveries."

She punched him in the chest and made to stand only to be stopped by a strong hand on her shoulder. "Cloud…what – …"

Before she could react, she was flat on her back on the cold ground, with a smirking Cloud in the same position that she had just occupied, his rough black pant leg rubbing at her lean side. His arms crossed over his chest in a contemplative demeanor, "So, what were YOU doing lurking around the house at this hour? Hmm?"

She quirked a brow at him, "As a matter of fact, I was down here to get a snack. I couldn't sleep."

He frowned slightly at her, leaning forward to stare into her nervous eyes, "Is something wrong?"

Tifa squinted at him, the lightning flashing over his sculpted features yet again, and shrugged, "I just don't like storms, I guess. They put me on edge."

He leaned back again, "You have been pretty jumpy ever since that fight with the remnants. But that's over, Tifa. There isn't anything to worry about anymore."

She sighed heavily, lolling her head to the left and lifting herself into a sitting position. "I know, I guess it's just habit though."

He stood from her and offered a hand for her to stand. She took it, her thin fingers wrapping around his gloved hand as he pulled her to stand before him. "I know what you mean," he whispered, averting his eyes to floor.

She tilted her head, looking at his now dropped face. "Cloud…is something bothering you? I didn't really hurt you, did I?"

His eyes shot up to meet hers again, glowing mako-blue orbs mixing with whiskey ones as he searched her face for emotion. "No! No, I'm fine. What about you?"

She didn't answer, instead dropping her own eyes to the floor and sighing, her hair tickling the sides of her face as she shook her head lightly, "I'm okay…Just worried about you."

His eyebrows shot up at her soft words, his right hand coming up to grip her left shoulder, "Worried about me? Why…?"

She shrugged her shoulders weakly, "You're just gone so much. Some nights you never even come home. Then tonight you return at three in the morning. Don't get me wrong, I'm very glad you came home, but I worry about you."

She heard him sigh loudly, his breath wafting to her face, a hint of cinnamon hanging in the air that puffed past her cheeks. When she felt movement, she thought he was leaving, but was pleasantly shocked to find that he, instead, wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pressed her head into the crook of his neck, "I know you do. I'm sorry for that. I'll try to be better for you all. I know there are so many things that need to change about me…for all of you… I wish I had more to offer."

His neck was pungent with the scents of gasoline, sweat, vanilla, and her lavender shampoo that he borrowed. She never thought that she would think this, but it smelled nice; so undeniably Cloud.

She found her arms moving of their own accord and heard Cloud gasp softly when he felt her light arms wrapping around his strong waist. "You don't have to change anything Cloud. Don't change who you are…just be here for us. I love you for you…not what you could be."

There was a thick silence. She could hear his breathing tense. "Hm…" he groaned in response as she felt his demeanor soften, "so you love me, huh?"

Her eyes widened at his blunt response, "C-Cloud…"

She could feel him pulling away and her heart fell slightly, sinking back into her chest to die in lieu of her accidental admission. She thought for sure he would leave her to her silly thoughts, but was soon shocked back to life when she felt him move behind her, his hot breath on the cool skin of her neck as he brought a gloved hand to sweep the curtain of her hair over her shoulder to bare her creamy skin to him. "Because, you know, it's okay if you do…"

Her eyes were nearly bulging out of her head at this point. _What has possessed him_? _This isn't the Cloud I know. He's so…in control_…

His hands made there way to the front of her robe, working the already loose knot undone. His lips ghosted over the shell of her left ear, "Blue really isn't your color…Tifa."

He nearly purred her name as his hands gripped the openings of her robe, lifting them to slide past her shoulders to pool at her bare feet on the floor. A great chill shook her body as his lips slid torturously over her bare left shoulder, his soft cheek nuzzling the crook of her neck. His right hand came to rest on her lean hipbone while his left trailed down her arm to grasp her left hand in his own gloved one, bringing it up to his waiting lips. He pressed a petal-soft kiss on her callused knuckles, his breath fluttering over her limp hand.

She was afraid to move, afraid to blink, afraid to even breathe; afraid that if she did anything to break the silence that this beautiful dream would shatter around her and she would awaken in the darkness of her own bedroom left completely unsatisfied and longing for his touch that she could never have.

She didn't have to do anything though. In fact, he preferred that she didn't, allowing him the privilege of taking control of the situation and letting his feelings free for the first time in a decade. He released her hand and glided his leather-clad hand back up her arm. His right hand gathered enough courage to slide its thumb beneath the confines of her loose white top, stroking the tight flesh beneath. What he didn't expect were her hands to grab it, pulling it from beneath her shirt. Worry flooded him for a moment. Had he overstepped his boundaries? Had he misunderstood her emotions?

He was so distracted by his own anxiety that by the time he noticed what she was doing, his right hand lay bare in her palms, his glove tossed onto the glass bar top beside her abandoned glass of water. Her fingertips ghosted over his scarred palm before, shockingly, returning his hand to its place on her tummy. He took in a sharp breath and let it out slowly as he slid his had upwards, running it over her toned stomach, something he had always wanted to do, though never really admitted it to himself.

She let out a whimper as his lips met her neck, his tongue flicking out to taste her sweet skin. His moves were passionate, determined, and fluid, but she couldn't help but notice the hints of hesitation and inexperience behind them. Even though he seemed so sure and in control, she knew that underneath this mask of bravado he was the same awkward, shy teenager that he had always been…and she thought it was the hottest thing she had ever experienced.

Deciding that this was a little too much torture, no matter how much she loved the little tentative touches and licks, she leaned backwards slightly, grinding her tailbone into his already obvious erection. This evoked a low gasp that faded into a faint groan from him, and she couldn't help but close her eyes and smile, a bubbly feeling of arousal and anticipation at the sudden change in him coursing through her body. "Tifa…" he growled low, "That's enough."

The comment confused her, but she only had a moment to ponder it before, to her shock, but great pleasure, he whipped her around and crashed his already aching mouth to her own gasping one, moans being swallowed between the two. For a moment they just stood there, basking in the euphoria of the first time their lips had ever touched. It was a warm, whole feeling, a missing puzzle piece working its way into the grooves that it was made from…a feeling of completion.

His mouth hungrily attacked her own, his fumbling lips opening and closing over her own clumsy ones, his tongue sliding over hers in a blissful tandem. Her hands began to subconsciously work at the buttons and fastening of his armor, hearing it drop to the floor in success before moving greedily to find their way to the zipper at the top of his sleeveless sweater, dragging it down and parting the sides to caress his lithe, toned torso.

She loved the feel of his skin beneath her cool hands, hot and smooth, untouched. She pushed the shirt from his body and wrapped her arms around his heated bare shoulders that she knew were dusted with faint freckles as she sighed into his kiss.

She could hear the strangled moans in his throat as she caressed his chest, his body bending slightly in reaction. Both of his hands found purchase as they slithered beneath the hem of her shirt, sliding up her sides, tickling her nerves in their wake. She lifted her arms over her head and allowed him to pull the shirt from her body in one fluid movement, his oceanic eyes mesmerized by her perfect figure. Her hands buried themselves in his golden spikes as he leaned forward, pressing a tentative kiss to her left breast before capturing the tight pearl between his lips, suckling it gently. She groaned her approval and slid her hands down his back before dragging her nails up to his shoulders, receiving a nip at her breast in reply. She gasped at the feral act and grunted in surprise as he grasped the back of her thighs and lifted her to sit on the glass bar top.

He continued attacking her breast, though now his left hand began to stroke the other neglected one softly, running the tips of his fingers over the tight bud causing her to shiver under this new touch. His right hand stroked the inside of her thighs teasingly as she subconsciously parted them to allow him further access. He moved to shower her neck in a barrage of kisses and she took the opportunity to reach down and fumble with the loops on his belt, popping the button and freeing his throbbing need from the confines of the leather. He sighed in relief but was soon gasping for oxygen as she bit the side of his neck, nearly drawing blood, her need obviously growing faster than he could keep up.

Letting his pants fall to the ground before kicking them off along with his boots, he pushed her further on the counter and climbed up over her, coming to settle between her knees, pressing her back to lie down. As her now hot flesh hit the freezing glass of the counter, she gasped and jolted a bit before relaxing under the warmth of his tongue massaging her abdominal muscles and laving at her naval. "C-Cloud…?"

He didn't answer at first, too caught up in the sensations that were attacking his mind, "Hmm…?" he managed through the licks and sucks.

She had to fight to keep her thoughts straight as his tongue did wicked things to her hips and stomach, "W-Why are… you doing this?"

He paused for only a moment; his intense blue eyes glowing with lust and passion as they locked onto hers, "Because you are so damn hot when you kick my ass."

Her eyes grew wide as he leaned down and nipped at her jaw, trailing wet kisses along her neck and shoulders before returning to her breasts. "B-But…why now…this isn't like you," she gasped out.

He stopped for another second, dropping his head and sighing, "Tifa…if you don't stop talking you are going to scare me off. I'm already way out of my league here. Could you stop making me over-analyze this and start helping me make love to you the right way…Please? Shut up."

At those words she melted and set of fire at the same time. Those words were spoken from the pure passion that she knew lived inside of Cloud; the passion that she had been trying to fish out for the past decade. It was finally here, in front of her to see, for her eyes alone. She felt a swell of pride course through her and settle in her heart. Without thinking any more, she lowered her hands to her hips and pushed her boy-shirts off, leaving her bare before him.

His eyes widened in realization. This was her way of saying, _Go ahead. I'm here for you._ The way that she had always been, there for him in any way that he needed. This was no exception. She continued to be the woman that he fell in love with, even in a situation that he was pretty sure she had never been in before. He loved her even more for it.

Lowering his lips to hers, he reached down and pushed his own boxer-briefs off, kicking them to the floor with rest of the clothing. He ran his hands down her sides, swooping along her hips, down her creamy thighs to rest on her knees. He looked down and chuckled. Her eyes shot to his, wondering what could possibly be so funny. Then she saw it and allowed a small smile of understanding to grace her features. Their eyes met on the one article of clothing that still separated them: His left glove.

He held it up for her to remove, "Go ahead…"

This was the final barrier that stood between them, the last remnant of a tired friendship. Tifa wasted no time in throwing it away. She smiled a full smile and pulled the leather covering from his hand, tossing it on the floor, kissing the equally scarred palm before placing the warm hand back on her knee. He leaned down and captured her lips once again, though this time it was a chaste, loving kiss that showed the depth of their bond and understanding of one another. He slid his right hand along her inner thigh, hesitating a moment. "Are you…?"

Instead of replying she grabbed his wrist and guided his hand to meet her, savoring his moan when his fingertips met her heat. He deftly, though carefully, slid two fingers into her aching body, shuddering at the tremors that shook her now moaning form. "C-Cloud…please."

He slowly began to slide his fingers in and out of her, creating a rhythm that would prepare her for what was to come. Nipping at her collarbone and pressing her legs further open with his other hand on her knee, he gasped as he felt her own lithe hand wrapping around his aching length. Pulling his hand from her, she guided his length to press lightly against her womanhood. He frowned for a moment in confusion, "Tifa…?"

She shushed him, "Cloud, w-we can take our time next time. This time I just want to feel you… now."

The thunder crashed around them, but they heard nothing but her gasps and moans as he nodded curtly and pressed his hips forward, pushing into her slowly. "Gods, Cloud…"

He gritted his teeth in a difficult attempt to not plow into her writhing body that instant. She was just too wanton to resist. Then, as if an answer to some unspoken prayer, she whispered desperately, "Cloud, just do it. I'm not weak. I can take it. I want it…"

At those words she grabbed his hips and thrust them forward, impaling him into her with a loud gasp and a strangled cry. His lips covered her own before the sounds could escape the room, possibly waking the children. Her knees wrapped around his thrusting hips as a symphony of moans, grunts, whimpers, and gasps mixed in the air around them as he quickly built a cadent rhythm pumping in and out of her writhing body as it closed around him with every thrust. All he could feel were her arms wrapped around him tightly, quickly heating the skin of his shoulders, the heat of her breath against his cheek as he attacked the sensitive flesh of her neck, finally marking her as his own.

His teeth found the pert buds on her damp chest, glistening with exertion and need. His tongue swirled around the sensitive little pearls, suckling them ravenously as he thrust mercilessly into her accepting body. Her hands glided down his sides; raking her nails against the ribs and tight muscles beneath them, leaving angry red trails, before coming to rest on his lean, perfect hipbones that were grinding against her own. Her teeth bit like an animal down onto the creamy, pure skin of his shoulder, ruining the untainted flesh beneath them.

Letting out a low, sensual groan at the damage, he lifted his body up to gain more leverage before grabbing her small wrists, pinning them above her head, and pounding with an unforgiving force and desperation into her waiting heat. Strangled sobs and broken cries escaped her lips as she fought to hold onto what little control and restraint she maintained over the situation, failing miserably as he moved his right hand to cup her breast, capturing her gasping mouth with his own before thrusting his probing tongue inside to war with her own.

He reached a hand up to stroke the hair from her eyes; breathing harshly against her forehead as he leaned down to plant a tender kiss on the sweat soaked skin. It wasn't long before he could feel the muscles in her thighs start to twitch from the exertion, her chest beginning to heave uncontrollably, her eyes squeezing shut and her chin tucking towards her chest, causing her hair to conceal her face. He could hear the sounds of her whimpering and moaning in pathetic frustration, as she is about to reach orgasm. And he wasn't very far behind her…

She could tell, through the oblivion of feeling, the tightening of his jaw, the tensing of his arms and abdominal muscles as he tried to restrain himself, the ragged and broken breaths he was losing. He was so close; almost as close as she was.

She arched her back, pressing herself harder onto him as her muscles began to clench and spasm around him, a full-fledged cry falling from her lips. He quickly covered her mouth with his own as a violent crash of thunder drowned out all the sound that managed to escape. He thrust with unforgivable force into her contracting canal, feeling his own body tense up. With a few final thrusts his eyes slid shut and a low gasping moan escaped him as he seized, spilling his seed into her womb, feeling her own gush around him.

As they rode out the wave, stars dancing before their eyes, she bit into his shoulder, breaking the skin. This only heightened the sensation for him and drew an almost pathetic mewl from his throat as he descended from his high. They were finally reduced to a panting mess. But it was a beautiful panting mess.

As Tifa finally regained enough sanity to speak, she allowed an exhausted chuckle to escape, "I really should kick your ass more often…if you're gonna hold me like this afterwards."


	3. Just Do It

**BTW**: I am taking requests for prompts. I know that a lot of people do this, but it's hard to come up with bunches of prompts for the same theme and have everyone like them for originality. So, feel free to leave me a review or PM me if there is something that you would like me to write on. The continuing theme is _**Cloud and Tifa's First Kiss**_. So I am going to need a bunch of different scenarios that people want to see Cloud and Tifa have their first kiss. Some of these will be lemons, others limes, and some just sweet/innocent little drabbles.

**Disclaimer**: Clearly I do not own any of the FFVII characters, locations, spells, weapons, or anything else in Gaia that is clearly not mine. They belong to Square Enix. I have made a few tweaks to the canon, but nothing major.

**Warning**: This one-shot is rated a strong T or a soft M for language, innuendos, and mild sexual situations.

**Timeline and Location**: This takes place at the 7th Heaven bar a few weeks to a month after the incidents in Advent Children.

**Special** **Thanks**: This is also a request sent to me by a fellow writer _**Shinodaluva**_ last night along with some brilliant ideas for this collection. Thanks! :)

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~*_**Just Do It**_*~

"Cloud!"

He sighed in exasperation as he heard Tifa's yell from the bottom of the stairs. He had been trying to pretend like he didn't hear it, but alas, that would only work for so long. He knew he should answer before she had to come up and yell it in his face. That would probably not be all that pleasant. "What is it?" he called from his spot in front of the TV.

"Cloud! I need your help!"

He rolled his eyes for the fiftieth time that hour, sighing heavily. Tifa was redecorating the bar area of 7th Heaven for the annual AVALANCHE Christmas party and was directing a constant barrage of questions and demands his way. All he wanted to do was relax and watch the television. He had encountered a long week of deliveries and was ready to take that much anticipated weekend. Apparently, Tifa had other plans. "What do you need?" he yelled, rather disinterestedly, back down at her.

"Cloud, just come down here! I need you to move something for me."

He frowned and groaned as he flopped his head back onto the brown cushion behind him. He lay limply there for another minute or so, hoping that Tifa would forget that she needed him. He was mistaken, "CLOUD STRIFE! GET DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW!!" he heard her bellow from the bottom of the staircase.

Sighing in defeat, he lifted his heavy shoulders from the comfy couch and dragged his feet down the stairs, mumbling to himself along the way. Upon entering the bar area, he felt as though he had been assaulted by ground zero of a hurricane destruction site, different colored tinsel, ribbons, holly, wreaths, and ornaments vomiting across the floor, bar, and tables. "Damn, Tifa, what did you do to this place…?"

He was met by a frustrated glare as he turned to see what task she had for him was. Upon seeing her, he froze in his tracks. He had not expected to be greeted by a sweat-drenched Tifa clad only in a red tank top and black boy-shorts, her hair pulled up into a tight ponytail at the crown of her head that flopped around behind her as she scurried about on her bare feet. Taking in the sight of her creamy legs, toned arms, long lean torso, supple cleavage, and baby-doll face, he blinked a few times to rebalance his mind before she noticed.

She stopped in front of a large Christmas tree decorated with many different colored balls, lights, and tinsel. She placed her hands on her hips and huffed out a long breath, "I need you to help me get this," she said, pointing at the tree, "over there," she finished, directing him to see the platform she had assembled across the room.

His eyes widened as he realized just how difficult and awkward this task was going to be, "Why didn't you just assemble the tree after you had set the platform up?"

She gave him a bored look, "I did. I just assembled the tree. I did the platform last night."

He reached over to rub the back of his neck, "I meant why didn't you assemble the tree on _**top**_ of the platform…?"

She blinked for a moment and curtly replied, "I didn't think of that. Now that you mention it, it seems like it would have been a great idea. Too bad I already did it. Hindsight's 20/20. So…help me!"

She went around the tree, untwisting the base latch, "Come on, and stop dilly dallying!"

He rolled his eyes, "Fine…" before walking over, "What do you need me to do?"

She squatted down, "Grab the center of the tree and lift up. I'll pull the base out from underneath."

"Okay…" he said, gripping the thin trunk in the center and lifting the monstrosity off of the metal base, "what now?"

She walked towards the stairs, "Now you wait there for a second. I have to go get a hammer and screwdriver."

"What? Why?!" protested Cloud, shifting the tree in his grasp.

"Because I have to get the nails out of the base so I can move it to the platform. Duh!" she replied matter-of-factly.

He glared at her, "Why did you nail it to the floor in the first place if you knew you were going to be moving it anyway?" he demanded.

She returned with the screwdriver, "Because I had to get the base to stay put so I could decorate the tree, Cloud. Otherwise it would have just fallen over."

He rolled his eyes once again, "Which brings me back to the first question of why you didn't assemble this on top of the platform to begin with…"

She glared at him again; blowing a piece of hair out of her eyes, "Because I was trying to make your job harder!" she said sarcastically, "Cloud, Shut up and just do it."

He sealed his lips in a tight line, clearly aggravated with the situation of being stuck holding the stupid tree while she worked to pry the nails out of the floor. He tapped his foot impatiently as she finally lifted the base off of the planks and carried it over to the platform. "Great, now where to put it…" she said, tapping her chin in thought.

Cloud growled in frustration, "Just pick a damn spot already. This overgrown fichus is getting heavy."

She scowled over her shoulder, "Cloud, these things take patience. I want to get it right the first time so that you don't have to do this again, don't you?"

He gritted his teeth, "Tifa, I didn't want to do it a first time. I shouldn't have to have done it a first time. I will _**not**_ do it a second time so if you screw it up you are on your own. If you would have just used some common sense and done it right from the beginning we wouldn't be having this ordeal."

She set the base down on the ground, "Cloud, don't make me sentence you to an hour of standing with that in your hands."

He squinted his eyes at her; "Don't make me drop it on the floor. There is no way I am holding this thing for another five minutes, so you better pick a spot soon."

She huffed and turned back to the platform, scooting the base over about six inches using her foot. "There, that should work," she stated with satisfaction.

She grabbed the handful of nails she had pried out and began to hammer the base to the platform. Cloud was becoming listless again, tapping his feet and shifting his weight back and forth to keep his back from cramping up. Finally, she jumped up and bounced back a few steps, admiring her work. "That should do it. Okay, Cloud, bring the tree over."

She couldn't help but giggle softly at the sight of Cloud waddling over towards her with a tree sticking out of his chest. He carefully climbed the platform and dropped the trunk of the tree into the circular pipe in the base, holding it steady as Tifa tightened the levers and latched it in place. Standing up straight, he dusted his hands off, "Need anything else…?" he half-heartedly inquired.

"Yeah," she said digging through a box that look like it weighed more than her, "untangle these," she answered, tossing a knot full of tinsel at him.

It wasn't just any tinsel; it was a huge knot larger than a human head of tinsel that was _all the same color_. He sighed in despair, "You're joking, right? Tell me you are joking."

She smiled sweetly at him and gave him the same look that she had given him in Aerith's church on the day he fought and defeated the remnants, crossing her arms over her chest, "Now Cloud, the more you help the faster all of this gets done and the less you have to hear me bitch to you about it later."

He took a deep breath in and prepared to exhale it sharply, "Cloud, if you sigh one more time I am going to box your ears so hard you won't be able to hear right until the New Year."

He choked on his breath as the color drained from his face. "Okay, okay…you're so bossy," he replied feebly as he set to unknotting the beat in front of him.

She cast him a warning glance over her shoulder as she sifted through another box. She stood on her toes as she leaned so far into the box that Cloud wondered if she might just fall into it. Kicking her legs around and jumping forward to reach even further, Tifa gave a victory cry as she pulled the object she was searching for out of the box. Over her head she held the giant star that would top the Christmas tree. Setting the ornament on the counter, she walked across the room and fetched the metal ladder, propping it up against the doorframe.

Cloud watched with interest as she walked over to the star before stopping short of grabbing it. His brow furrowed as she leaned against the bar stool to reach her bottle of water. After taking a sip and setting it back on the counter she reached for the hem of her shirt. Cloud had to contain the squeak that threatened to escape his lips as she pulled the red tank top over her head and tossed it behind the counter, leaving her in only her boy-shorts and a skimpy black sports bra. He swallowed hard as she grabbed an old newspaper and began to fan herself with it for a moment. As she glanced over to see his progress he immediately darted his eyes back to the tinsel and resumed his handiwork.

He watched out of the corners of his eyes as she glided back to the ladder with the star in hand, slowly ascending the steps to the top with practiced ease. He couldn't help but worry a bit at the way in which she swayed slightly when she reached to push the star snuggly on top of the point of the tree. Just as she got the ornament in place the ladder began to tip precariously towards the doorframe, and by the time she noticed it was too late, for she was already on a fast trip to the hard floor below.

Squeezing her eyes shut and holding her breath waiting for the impact, she was shocked to find that it was much softer than she imagined it to be. Peeling her eyes open slowly, she connected them with the black wool of Clouds shirt. They widened considerably as she raised her head to lock her eyes onto the concerned yet irritated mako-blue orbs. Lifting her head even further, she realized that she was laying on top of Cloud who was, at the moment, pressed flat on his back on the hard wood floor, having broken her fall and taken the brunt of it, "A-Are you okay, Cloud?"

He groaned quietly under her weight and rolled onto his left side, causing her to roll onto her right beside him. He grabbed the back of his head with a gloved hand that was quickly removed by the worried barmaid in front of him, "Cloud, seriously…are you okay?"

She ran her hands through his hair feeling for the goose egg that she knew was there and forming quickly. When she found it she sighed, "I'm so sorry…"

Without thinking, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his upper body into her lap, "Mmph…Tifa…"

She looked down at his face in her lap, her brandy eyes scanning his face for distress to find none. Instead, she saw a hazy look in his turquoise eyes, surely from the impact of the fall. "You…smell good."

She blinked in surprise, her eyes lighting up humorously, "Thank you, Cloud. I think you took a nice bump to the head though, so you probably won't remember any of this later."

He blinked a few times before looking up at her, her face going in and out of focus, "You're very beautiful…"

She raised her eyebrows at the remark, forcing a giggle down her throat, "I'm very flattered, but I think we should get you some ice."

Before she could slide out from under him to stand, she found herself flipped onto her back with Cloud lying on top of her, squinting into her eyes as if he was trying to see something in the distance. "No…Tifa. Don't leave…" he said in almost a drunk voice.

She was beginning to be concerned at this point, her brows furrowing slightly, wondering what to do now. "Cloud, we really should – mmph!"

She was silenced by the impact of Clouds mouth on her own, his lips slightly chapped but warm and soft nonetheless. She could barely contain the shock that assaulted her mind. She didn't know how to react. She had wanted this for so long, but Cloud wasn't in his right mind right now. Actually, he probably wouldn't even remember this in an hour. She didn't have a lot of time to think as she felt his tongue probe at the corner of her mouth, begging for entrance. Gasping at the sensation, she opened her mouth for him without even realizing it until she felt his warm, cinnamon flavored tongue gliding along her own. A strong arousal suddenly took her over. She was just about to melt into the kiss when she remembered the situation.

Slowly she tried to gently push Cloud off of her, but he was simply too much bigger than her. She finally broke the heated kiss long enough to shove him off of her. He rolled to the left before falling limp and unconscious on the floor beside her. She pulled herself into a sitting position and observed his comatose form on the floor, "Who would have thought that a bump on the back of the head would be the equivalent of 7 glasses of my strongest liquor. I should probably get him a bucket. I have the feeling he's probably gonna get sick when he wakes up…"

Exiting the room to the small utility shop behind the bar, she fetched a 5-gallon bucket from one of the shelves. Padding back over to him, she grabbed a pillow out of one of the boxes. She set the bucket down beside him and propped the pillow underneath his spiky golden head, softly running her fingers through his silky hair to feel for the bump again. "Yep, he is gonna have a wicked headache when he comes to…"

As if hearing her words, the body beside her twitched slightly, his head lolling around a bit, eyes squeezed shut in pain. "Whathehell…" he muttered almost incoherently.

She smiled weakly at his distress, placing her hand on his shoulder, "Cloud, are you okay?"

His eyes opened slowly, taking a minute to focus on her face, "Tifa…?"

She nodded curtly, helping him to sit slowly, a wave of dizziness washing over him, "Ugh…I'm gonna be sick."

She pointed at the bucket beside him as he grabbed it quickly, leaning over it and impulsively emptying the contents of his stomach into it. After a few minutes, she began to rub his back softly, "Feel any better?"

He nodded silently, wiping the back of his hand across his mouth. She smiled sadly at him leaning over and wrapping an arm around his shoulders, "I'm sorry I got you into this mess. If only I wasn't so clumsy…"

He turned to face her, slowly sobering, bringing a hand to grip her left forearm, "No, Tifa. Don't apologize. I was just doing my job."

She looked at him with a confused look, "What…?"

He lifted the hand to cup her cheek; "I told you that I would always be there to rescue you when you were in trouble. That's what I did. Don't apologize for keeping me an honest man."

In that moment, Tifa could fill her eyes fill up with tears. "Of course…how could I forget?"


	4. A New Life

**BTW**: I am taking requests for prompts. I know that a lot of people do this, but it's hard to come up with bunches of prompts for the same theme and have everyone like them for originality. So, feel free to leave me a review or PM me if there is something that you would like me to write on. The continuing theme is _**Cloud and Tifa's First Kiss**_. So I am going to need a bunch of different scenarios that people want to see Cloud and Tifa have their first kiss. Some of these will be lemons, others limes, and some just sweet/innocent little drabbles.

**Disclaimer**: Clearly I do not own any of the FFVII characters, locations, spells, weapons, or anything else in Gaia that is clearly not mine. They belong to Square Enix. I have made a few tweaks to the canon, but nothing major.

**Warning**: This one-shot is rated a strong M for sexual content and language.

**Timeline and Location**: This takes place at the 7th Heaven bar a few weeks to a month after the Omega scare in Dirge of Cerberus.

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~*A New Life*~

"So, Cloud…what do you think about Marlene moving back in with Barret? I mean, he and Elmyra just married and it's only natural that he should want to start taking care of his little girl again…"

Cloud listened to her nervously, popping a piece of cinnamon gum in his mouth, chewing it slowly. He and Tifa were sitting at the bar as she cleaned the glasses for the night and she was trying to get a serious conversation going about the future of the four 7th Heaven tenants. Serious conversations always made Cloud prickle, for he wasn't very good at talking about how he felt. He preferred to just act out his wishes or wait for others around him to make the decisions for him. If he had a problem with something only _**then**_ would he speak up and let his opinion be heard.

When Tifa realized he wasn't going to answer, she brushed it off and moved right along, "I think it's great that they are ready to really start their family. I think things will be even easier around here now that Denzel is going to move in with Cid for a while. He always wanted to be a pilot. I'm excited for him. What about you, Cloud?"

He furrowed his brow and began to unwrap another piece of gum, popping it in his mouth just in time to avoid the question. She frowned slightly, "Wait…didn't you already have a piece of gum in your mouth?"

His eyes met hers, shaking his head innocently, grunting out a 'No.'

She shrugged and turned back to her cleaning, "But yeah, I think it's great that everyone is starting their new lives and picking themselves back up after the Omega scare. It's about time everyone stopped being worried all the time and started to enjoy life."

Cloud nodded silently, chewing on the now larger piece of gum in his mouth, feeling the spicy-sweet flavor glide over his tongue. He slid his hand into his pocket, grabbing another piece and unwrapping it slowly just in case. Sure enough, Tifa continued with her barrage of questions, most of which were becoming more personal by the second, "What about you, Cloud? What do you see yourself doing now that all of this is quiet for now?"

He quickly shoved the next piece of gum into his mouth; chomping on it hungrily in avid avoidance of a question he didn't have a clue how to answer. Tifa frowned deeper this time, "Okay, now I know you already had gum this time, Cloud. Why are you adding a third piece?"

He raised his eyes in a mock glare, "I spit the others out first…"

She squinted her eyes humorously, "See! I knew you were lying. You did have a first piece of gum, and, no sir, you did not spit out anything."

He rolled his eyes in annoyance, "Does it really matter…?"

She didn't answer this time, just quirked a brow and continued on the last few glasses, "Anyway, you didn't answer my question. What are you going to do now? I think I'm probably just going to stick around here and run this bar for a while, maybe get a another day job while I'm at it…"

Cloud only half listened, his mind wandering to her previous question. What _was_ he going to do? He had never really thought about it until now. The question never seemed relevant because they had pretty much constantly been dealing with some kind of crisis for the last decade. What would he do? Continue being a delivery boy? Go help the WRO? Go back to work at the chocobo stables in Kalm? Go help one of his AVALANCHE buddies? There were so many choices, but none of them jumped out to him.

"…Right, Cloud?"

His eyes shot up to Tifa's. "Huh…?"

She crossed her arms over her chest and frowned at him, "You weren't paying attention, were you?"

His eyes widened slightly, unwrapping another piece of gum and popping it into his already too full mouth. She beaded her eyes at him and leaned forward, "You're doing that on purpose, aren't you? Please, Cloud Strife, do you really think that you can use chewing gum as a weapon against me? What are you on, your fifth piece now?"

He shakes his head disinterestedly, "Fourth," he grunts out.

"So you _are_ trying to use gum against me somehow…Really, Cloud…gum?"

He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. Tifa just rolled her eyes and put away the last of the glasses. Letting her mind wander through all of her fellow war buddies she was seeing a pattern.

Yuffie was dating Reno and from what she gathered, they were very close to starting their own little family. Barret and Elmyra were married and about to start raising Marlene again. Denzel was going to live with Cid and Shera for a while…

Tifa's heart swelled for a moment. _Everyone is starting his or her own little families and I can't even get up the nerve to tell the man I have been in love with my entire life how I feel about him_. Fiddling with the glasses once more, she frowned deeply in thought. _Should I_…?

She came to the conclusion that this was something that she really did need to get out in the open, whether her feelings were returned or not. She needed peace, one way or the other. Sighing deeply, she decided that she would breech this issue in as light-hearted a way as possible. Maybe something new and random would get the conversation sparked up. Clearing her throat she said as nonchalantly as she could manage, coming up with the first thing that crossed her mind, "So, Cloud…how do you feel about having a baby?"

As soon as the words left her mouth she had to cover it with the dishtowel to rein in her laughter. As expected, his mako-enhanced eyes widened immensely, all color drained from his face, and he inhaled sharply, lodging the knot of chewing gum in his throat. He started to choke almost immediately. Pounding his chest with his gloved hand, he sent the wad of gum flying across the bar to land on the dingy floor. "W-What?!"

She did her best job at pulling a straight face as she continued the rash thought, picking his gum off of the floor with a paper towel, "Yeah, I figured that since I'm still young enough I should think about starting a real family. I mean going through all of this shit has made me realize that I really need to start living my life, not just being a puppet of the past. Everyone around me is starting families, and I think that a baby would be a great way for me to latch on to the more 'normal' aspects of living."

Cloud frowned slightly, "Tifa, how would you get a baby? They don't just grow in a flowerpot on the balcony. You can't just go to the store and buy one. Those things take more than just sun, rain, and the occasional weeding to grow…"

She smirked softly, very much amused with herself for getting this far, "I'm well aware of how babies are made, Cloud. I was thinking that I could always go to a sperm bank, but where's the fun in that...I mean, running around with some stranger's kid…"

Cloud was beginning to worry about Tifa's sanity. She had never given any indication that she wanted to get married any time soon, let alone start making a family. He was about to drift further into concern when he heard the words come out that he never expect to hear from her, "Then again, you could help me…"

He froze; eyes wide, face pale, and fists clutching the sides of his stool in a vice grip, "Come again…?"

He watched as her face lit up and she nearly danced over to him, taking his gloved hands in her own bare ones, "That's it! You and I are going to make a baby!"

His eyes got wider if possible and he started to back away slowly, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, Tifa…this isn't funny anymore. Why would you want to have a baby with me? We've been best friends for our whole lives, you should know by now how unstable I am."

She rolled her eyes, laughing hysterically in her mind at his reaction, "Why _wouldn't_ I? You are attractive, smart, strong, agile, and talented…plus I think a baby with my hair and your eyes would be stunning. I already have names picked out and everything!"

"Why would you wanna have a baby with me? Why would you want to have a baby with my instability? Tifa, I'm not fit to take care of a child. I can barely take care of myself…" Cloud asked desperately.

Tifa just smirked and spun around, "Because it would be normal-ed out with my strong stability! And don't be so hard on yourself. You've provided well for this little family we've had. I think you would be a great father. "

Cloud watched helplessly as she bounced around the room as if she had just found buried treasure. He blinked a few times before falling back to sit on his stool his head swirling with thoughts. He sighed deeply and closed his eyes, "Tifa…is this really what you want?"

Tifa was taken aback at his sudden change in demeanor. He had gone from the expected shock and confusion to a very serious sounding attitude, "What…?"

Cloud sighed softly, rubbing the back of his neck with his gloved hand, "You heard me. Is this really what you want?"

She was confused for a moment, but decided to run with it and see just how far she could take it. She was surprised to find herself seriously considering it for a moment. Did she want to have a baby? Sure it had started as a crazy icebreaker to get them to evaluate their feelings for each other, but did some part of her actually want a child? The thought had to come from somewhere, "Why do you ask, Cloud?"

He kept his eyes closed for a moment before opening them again to lock onto her whiskey orbs, "Because if this is something that you really want and you think it will make you happy…we can talk about it."

It was her turn to widen her eyes in shock, "R-Really…?"

He took a deep breath and stood silently, taking her hands in his own, "Tifa…you deserve to be happy. You have sacrificed so much for me over the past decade and I have done nothing to repay you," he paused eyes on the floor, awkward shyness taking over, a blush rising to his cheeks, "If you want a baby that badly then we can talk about it."

She could feel tears welling in her eyes at his words. True, she had started all of this as a ploy to get him to open up and express his feelings, but she had never expected him to go along with it. She didn't know that he felt that way. It had her second-guessing whether or not she was happy with things staying the way they had always been. What if Cloud opening up to her was the start of something that really would make her happy? What if he did decide to give her a baby? Was that something she wanted…? _What if_…

She felt a leather-clad hand touch her chin lightly, raising it to meet haunting eyes, swirling with blue and green emotion. "Tifa…are you okay?"

She nodded vigorously before throwing her arms around the unsuspecting blonde, clinging to his lithe form for support, "Do you mean that, Cloud?"

He allowed her to bury her face in his neck, hesitantly raising his own arms to lightly rest on her back, "Mean what…?"

She sniffed softly, refusing to let the tears fall; "You would consider giving me a baby, your own flesh and blood, just to make me happy?"

He sighed softly, closing his eyes against her lavender scent, fumbling with his words, "Tifa, I hate seeing you sad…y-you are my only chance at living a normal life…feeling…human…If it takes me giving you a baby to take those sad tears off of your face…and if me being there to help you raise it is what it takes to make you truly happy…I think I can do that."

Her eyes were now wider than they had ever been and she had stopped breathing. She felt his hands hesitantly rub her back, trying, awkwardly, to comfort her. She smiled through the sudden warm feeling that rushed over her. Even if Cloud didn't really want to have a baby right now, knowing that he was willing to do something like that for her was astounding in her mind. To make such a sacrifice for her sake was monumental in her opinion and she couldn't help but wonder just when the ex-SOLDIER had grown up so much…

"C-Cloud…"

"Hmm…"

"This isn't a joke, is it?"

She heard a nervous chuckle, "No, Tifa…I'm not joking."

She sighed inwardly as she closed her eyes, taking in the spicy-sweet scent of the cinnamon that was still on his breath as he pulled back to look at her. She peeled her eyes open, staring into his nearly teal orbs, taking in every emotion she saw: care, anxiety, determination, hope, and…longing. She saw him opening his mouth to speak again, but decided she didn't need to hear anymore. Lifting her hand to caress his cheek, evoking a soft gasp from him in the place of words, she lightly ghosted her lips over the corner of his mouth, pressing them lightly to the skin connecting his lips to his cheek.

She felt him tense considerably, but she wasn't going to get scared this time. She had put this off for far too long. If he disputed her then she would deal with that when it happened. It was time to start living. As her thoughts coalesced, she pressed her lips firmly to his own slack ones, feeling him gasp at the touch. His reaction only fueled her on. This is exactly what she thought kissing Cloud for the first time would be like: warm, tentative, shy, and pure.

She broke away hesitantly; grabbing his gloved hand, "Follow me."

He tensed for a moment, almost afraid to follow, "C'mon Cloud…trust me."

He nodded silently before following her up the stairs to stop in front of her bedroom. She turned the knob and opened the heavy door softly, walking into the empty bedroom, bare save for a bed, dresser, closet, and desk, closing it behind her and clicking the lock. She led him over to the bed, and pressed his shoulder down to seat him. Never speaking, she reached down and grabbed his hands, silently pulling the leather gloves from them and tossing them onto her desk. Flattening her palms against his, she weaved her fingers to intertwine with his own larger ones, observing him as he watched with both interest and apprehension.

"Do you trust me?" she asked him, catching he hesitant eyes with her own.

He nodded slowly, "Mhmm…" he mumbled, still rigid with anticipation.

She knelt in front of him on the floor between his knees, wrapping her arms around his waist, her cheek resting on his thigh. "Are you sure you meant what you said?"

She heard his breathing hitch slightly, a soft tremble in his voice, "Have I ever lied to you, Tifa?"

Her silence was answer enough as she lightly clutched the outside of his thigh, taking in the scent of his freshly laundered black pants. She inhaled sharply as she felt his shy fingers lightly brushing over her hair, his hand coming to rest on top of her head supportively.

She allowed herself to smile as she lifted herself up to eye level with him, his intense eyes bearing into hers in a silent admission. Her strong will was coupled with a sizeable jolt of determination as she reached for the metal zipper on her shirt, dragging it down slowly until she could part the sides and slide it off of her shoulders. He sat there watching her with fascination, unmoving and concentrated. She tossed the leather vest across the room and stood, stepping out of her shoes and socks. Locking her eyes onto his, she started to unfasten the knots on her asymmetrical skirt, unbuttoning each button carefully and efficiently. Stepping out of the cloth garment, she studied his face; his lightly tanned skin, perfectly chiseled features, startling eyes, and pale parted lips.

Taking a deep breath, her eyes never leaving his, she unfastened the hook on her shorts, sliding the zipper down as well. Bending her knees slightly, she pushed the heavy fabric from her hips, letting it drop to the floor at her feet before kicking it away. She smirked almost unnoticeably as she watched his eyes shyly flick down to her bare legs, taking in the sight of them hungrily, a faint pink blush coloring his cheeks.

She took a small step towards him, resting her hand on his shoulder before sliding it to cup his cheek gently. She smiled softly when she felt him subconsciously lean into her touch, closing his eyes slowly.

Removing her hand from his face, she reached down and grabbed the hem of her white tank top. She noticed that his eyes remained closed as she lifted the garment over her head, leaving her clad in only a black lace bra and panty set.

Taking advantage of his oblivious state, she closed the distance between them by grasping the sides of his face in her hands with tender care, leaning her head down to capture his mouth. He elicited a soft groan at the surprise contact, her hair fanning over his shoulders as she lifted her right knee to rest on his thigh, pressing her body against his own trembling one. When his hands reached up to grab her waist, finding it bare, he tensed for a moment before her lips ultimately relaxed him. She reached down to grab his arm, guiding his hand to grab the back of her right thigh. She felt his cool fingers squeeze the tight muscle and run his thumb softly in a circular motion sending chills up her spine. _Gods, he's so sexy when he's shy_…

Feeling her arousal building deep within her, she fingered the zipper on his sweater before quickly dragging it down and pushing the two sides apart, tossing the garment aside. She lightly drug her fingertips over his pectoral muscles and lithe, tight abdominals, wracking his body with tremors from inexperience and over-stimulation. She felt his other hand come to clench tightly at her lean left hipbone in a vain attempt to ground himself.

Leaning forward even further, she allowed the tip of her tongue to slide its way across his jaw, slithering down to the crook of his neck and gently suckling the pulse point there. She could hear a low growl working its way up from the bottom of his throat, his hands clenching her tightly. She pushed him back slightly, pressing with enough force to lay him back on the mattress. She silently and swiftly crawled up towards him, resting her knees on either side of his own. Running her fingers over his now flushed shoulders, propping herself up on her free hand, she leaned down and began to leave a trail of tender, wet kisses along the contours of the muscles of his torso. She could feel the muscles tensing and relaxing beneath her lips and it sent a thrill through her to know that _**she**_ was the one that had this control over him.

She nearly froze when she felt one of his hands teasing the junction between her thigh and buttocks, a small shock coursing through her. She let a soft sigh escape her lips as she felt his other hand fluttering over the side of her sensitive ribcage, leaving a trail of goose bumps behind his hesitant fingers. She wiggled down his body, working her fingers swiftly through the buckle of his belt before unbuttoning his fly, relieving some of his tension. He let out a pathetic sigh as she hooked her fingers around his pants and pulled them down his lean, muscular legs before tossing them to join the rest of their abandoned clothes.

She was about to return to her previous spot when suddenly Cloud sat up and reached out to her, grabbing her by the bicep and firmly pressing her down to the spot he had been occupying. Her eyes widened as he reached behind her and deftly unhooked her bra without any trouble at all, "Cloud…?"

"Don't ask…it's a long story," he mumbled under his breath before leaning down to nip at her earlobe, pulling a gasp from her now shaking form.

She tossed the offending garment to the side as she continued to lap hungrily at Cloud's soft lips, sliding her tongue into his hot, waiting mouth. She jolted and gasped loudly when she felt his right hand slide to cup her left breast with such a gentle and tentative, yet sure and steady, touch. Suddenly, there was a change in him, and it was huge. It was as if he realized for the first time what lust felt like and, as she looked up to meet his eyes, she was met with a portrait of pure, raw desire.

It was as if a switch had been flipped and he was now running on some animalistic autopilot. He attacked her mouth with a renewed fervor, dipping his tongue as far as he could into the sweet heat, lapping at the corners of her mouth and nipping at her bottom lip occasionally. His right hand remained on her breast, brushing his fingertips over the now tight bud, grinding his hips into her own, his hard length brushing against her now aching womanhood. She could do nothing but whimper from the teasing motions and achingly pleasurable touches.

"Cloud…please…?" she moaned pathetically as she felt one of his hands running down her belly and coming to rest just above her underwear.

He shuddered above her, obviously overcome by this new feeling of primal need. She decided she would do him a favor and reached down, hooking her fingers around her panties, sliding them down to her knees. He looked down and dropped his jaw slightly at the erotic sight, shyly running his hand over her thigh, he cocked a finger under the band and slid them the rest of the way off, his other hand massaging the soft skin of her left hip.

After discarding the soaked material, he turned back to the enticing young woman before him, bare and open for him to take in and enjoy. She was there, and she was all his for the taking. Closing his eyes from the sheer lust of it all, he leaned down and licked cautiously at her left breast, shocked by the sudden tensing of her body and the low groan she emitted. Deciding that it was a good sign, he caught the little pearl between his lips and flicked his tongue over it a few times quickly. This caused an even louder moan and a full-body shudder from the panting female. Finally, he opened his lips and took the entire nipple in his mouth, suckling it gently, yet ravenously at the same time, reducing Tifa to a heap of whimpering mush.

He opened his eyes to see her own gazing back at him, a desire-induced haze making her eyelids seem heavier than usual. Reaching down, he hooked his fingers around the waistband of his black boxer-briefs and slid them off of his body in one fluid movement before crawling to kneel between her knees. His callused hand stroked her inner thighs gently, closing his eyes to the feeling.

"I don't know if I can believe this is real…" came the breathy sound of the martial artist's voice.

His eyes remained closed but he allowed a small smile to grace his features at Tifa's words, "It's okay. I'll help you know it's real," he muttered, smirking slightly before leaning down and running his hot tongue over her neglected sex.

Her whole body shuddered, a strangled grunt falling from her lips as she felt a great wave of pleasure engulf her. "Dear God, Cloud…how do you do these things so amazingly?"

He didn't say anything, but continued to lap at her now throbbing petals, dipping his tongue inside to taste all of her. It was an interesting taste, sweet but bitter at the same time, but he found that when mixed with her pungent scent and glorious form it was utterly intoxicating. All of his previous inhibitions had now flown out the window as he flicked his tongue over her sweet spot, ripping a loud moan from her throat, her back arching off of the mattress.

Lifting his head from between her legs, he moved his face to hover back over her own. He had no clue about what to do now, but his body seemed to know for him. He reached down and hooked his right hand beneath her left knee and pushed it out to the side, creating room for his hips to slide in close. He could feel the tip of his need at her ready entrance and he shuddered a breath. His hips moved on their own, and in a few careful thrusts he had sheathed himself inside of her, letting out a guttural groan at the sensation.

He felt her tense slightly and met her eyes, "Are you alright?"

She smiled and tried to control her heavy breathing, "Better than you know…"

The mere words made him blush a little, but at this point, it didn't really matter to him. Her hand came up and ran her fingers lightly through his tousled spikes, bringing his mouth down to her own, running her tongue over his lips. She turned her head and whispered breathily in his ear, "You feel absolutely amazing…"

The next few thrusts were a bit awkward before they found the rhythm that suited them, but when they did and he slid against that sweet spot deep inside of her, her back arched off of the bed with a strangled cry. The sound of her pleasure caused his arousal to grow exponentially as he thrust in and out of her more quickly now, pressing her hips into the mattress. The air was filled with panting, gasping, whimpering, and grunts of exertion.

Suddenly, she tensed up, digging her fingers into his shoulders, gasping for air, and clenching her knees around his hips. Then he felt it too, blinding, white pleasure as the heat that had coiled in the pit of his stomach was flowing freely at last, emptying itself into the writhing woman beneath him, a loud cross between a whimper and a moan tearing itself from his throat. Tifa let out a full-fledged cry at her moment of release; sweat rolling down her brow as she rode out the waves, her eyes squeezed shut from the sheer force the orgasm.

Tifa's legs flopped down onto the bed on either side, her arms draped lazily over his now shaking shoulders. Cloud lowered himself to rest on his elbows, breathing quick and ragged breaths as his brow glistened with perspiration. He pressed his forehead against her own, brushing their noses together and breathing against her lips. "So…do you think it worked?" he sighed through his shudders.

Tifa was confused for a moment, her brain still fuzzy from the recent events, "What…?"

Cloud nuzzled her nose again, "Do you think we made a baby…?

She couldn't help but giggle, finally remembering why they had done this in the first place, "I don't know…we'll have to wait and see."

He nodded against her cheek, brushing his lips over her left temple before pulling out of her slowly and carefully. Reaching down to pull the blanket over them, he rolled to her side and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pressing her against him tightly, her head just beneath his chin. "You know, if it didn't work…we can always try again," the hesitant and still so shy voice of Cloud found its way to her ears.

She couldn't stop the huge smile that stuck to her face upon hearing those words. Snuggling against him, she replied, "Of course, Cloud…as long as you want it too."

Breathing in a heavy sigh as she heard him hum his approval before she felt his breathing even out in sleep, she closed her eyes, taking in the richness and rarity of this moment. _I guess I'm just going to have to leave the bar closed tonight. Cloud and I are going to have a lot to discuss…but then again, maybe it won't be too hard. Maybe a new life is just what we need to solidify our own together_.

As the thought ended and she felt herself slipping into the same peaceful sleep that had stolen the blonde angel beside her, she couldn't help but silently wish that it hadn't worked…just so they could keep on trying.


	5. Keeps You Human

**BTW**: I am taking requests for prompts. I know that a lot of people do this, but it's hard to come up with bunches of prompts for the same theme and have everyone like them for originality. So, feel free to leave me a review or PM me if there is something that you would like me to write on. The continuing theme is _**Cloud and Tifa's First Kiss**_. So I am going to need a bunch of different scenarios that people want to see Cloud and Tifa have their first kiss. Some of these will be lemons, others limes, and some just sweet/innocent little drabbles.

**Disclaimer**: Clearly I do not own any of the FFVII characters, locations, spells, weapons, or anything else in Gaia that is clearly not mine. They belong to Square Enix. I have made a few tweaks to the canon, but nothing major.

**Warning**: This one-shot is rated a strong T or very soft M for mild sexual situations, language and angst. Sorry, no lemon in this one. Thoughts are in _italics_. Dreams are in _**bold italics**_.

**Timeline and Location**: This takes place in the 7th Heaven upstairs living quarters. It occurs shortly after Dirge of Cerberus.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

~*_Keeps You Human_*~

_**Fire. Wind. Rain. Stifling inferno. Screams. Blue lights. Giants. Gunshots. Metallic clashes. Smoke. Crying. Blood. Death…**_

_**It was all around her, suffocating her and pulling her in. Chaos and Omega's final battle was nearing its end. Bright lights filled the air as screams and the cracking of crystal could be heard. Debris came flying at her from every direction. She threw her hands over her head to cover her face as glass rained down on her**_…

"Tifa! Tifa wake up!"

Her eyes snapped open and she shot into a sitting position, sweat rolling down her creased forehead and heaving chest. Her eyes darted around the room, still bathed in darkness, to see the worried faces of Denzel and Marlene. She sighed and ran the back of wrist over her forehead, "What are you two doing up? What time is it?"

Marlene looked worriedly at Tifa, "It's around 3am, but we heard you screaming. We thought something was wrong."

Tifa closed her eyes and dropped her head slightly, reaching her hand out to the young girl, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, "It was just a dream. I'm okay. You two don't need to worry."

"But Tifa -"

"Denzel, Marlene…you two need to go back to bed. You don't want to miss the bus to school in the morning. I can handle it from here."

Tifa's head shot to source of the tired voice to find the blonde ex-SOLDIER standing in her doorway with a serious case of bed head. She couldn't help but smirk a little at the sight. He wore grey loose-fitted pants, black socks, and a thin white t-shirt as he beckoned the kids into the hallway.

"Okay, Cloud. We leave her in your hands!" called the young boy as he exited the room, grasping the younger girl's hand in his own.

Cloud reached up to rub the back of his neck as he watched the two kids retreat back into their dark bedroom. When he heard the door close, he turned his eyes to observe the messy heap of Tifa. Walking a few steps into the room, he lit the lamp on the doorway for a little light. He blew out the match, licking the tip to extinguish the embers, and tossed it into the wastebasket behind him. Tifa watched as he paced slowly towards her, coming to sit at the edge of her bed, sleep still heavy in his eyes, though now mixed with concern and understanding. They sat in silence for a few moments, the sound of heavy rain dripping and pattering off of the gutters and eaves on the roof of the building. The air was heavy with tension as the ex-SOLDIER and the martial arts master closed their eyes and hung their heads, unsure of what to say or how to act.

The nightmares were common occurrences for both of them following the Omega scare in which their good friend and fellow AVALANCHE member, Vincent Valentine, had narrowly averted another Armageddon. These nightmares would start off as the way everything had actually played out that fateful day, but would soon twist themselves into what could have happened had Vincent failed in defeating Omega; the falling glass and blinding lights signifying the end of the human race and destruction of all life.

Tifa was used to nightmares by now, having been plagued with them since the untimely deaths of her mother when she was eight and her father to the blade of Sephiroth when she was fifteen, the death of her good friend Aerith, and the near loss of Cloud to Sephiroth and his remnants a few years ago. These dreams would rotate themselves and she could never predict just what she would be tortured with each night when going to sleep.

Finally, it was the sandy-haired man that broke the painful silence, completely unmoving through his words, "What was it tonight? Sephiroth again?" he muttered softly.

Tifa shook her head, knowing he wouldn't see it, and whispered, "No, Omega this time."

Cloud grunted in understanding, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, popping his knuckles tensely. Tifa sighed, unwrapping the blanket from her sweat drenched body and running a hand through her sticky hair, "What about you? You had to have dreamed too. My noises don't usually wake you unless you are already conscious…"

He let out a hum of acknowledgement, raising his eyes to the window before him, watching the rain trickled down in tiny rivers across the glass, before sighing heavily and biting at his bottom lip, "The same one I had last night."

Tifa sighed for him, turning her eyes to take in his profile, thinking that he looked younger now than he had in years, "Aerith…" she deduced.

He nodded once, very curtly, never blinking, as if ashamed to admit that he still dreamed about and felt a marginal amount of guilt for the fallen Cetra.

Then the thick silence set in again, neither knowing nor caring just how long they sat there immersed in their own shameful self-pity and unspoken worry for one another. The sound of the rain steadily growing louder as the storm picked up, the rumble of thunder in the distance adding to the already melancholy and dark atmosphere of the bedroom. Tifa couldn't think of a worse state of weather for their gloomy moods as she slowly, and almost carefully, scooted over towards Cloud as he stared out at the night, picking out the faint glow of the streetlights through the fuzzy darkness. She crossed her legs in front of her, her ankles making contact with his right hip and causing him to jump slightly at the unfamiliar contact.

She hesitantly lifted her left arm, sliding it slowly along his spine before letting a testing hand rest upon his opposite shoulder. His t-shirt was soft and thin, allowing her to feel the present tenseness of his muscles and warmth of his freckled skin rippling slightly beneath her touch. Taking a deep breath, she leaned forward and carefully rested her forehead on the shoulder closest to her; taking in the smooth scent of the fresh cotton detergent still sticking to his t-shirt, freshly laundered from the day before. She prayed, hoped, wished that he would say something, anything to break the heavy, painful silence that suffocated her slowly. But the words never came, just more silence, more tension, and more pain.

Finally, she breathed another sigh, closing her eyes against the soft scent tickling her nose. She was surprised that he wasn't trembling beneath her hands and forehead. He was usually very nervous when anyone showed him any type of affection, tensing beneath any alien touches, not sure how to deal with them. She guessed it was because his mother and father had never really showed him much affection as a child, coupled with the fact that he left for SOLDIER as soon as he was old enough. Her father had never liked him; therefore she was never allowed to associate with him without keeping it a secret. Cloud had never had it easy, always misunderstood.

She was startled from her thoughts by movement beneath her, shifting her head slowly to see Cloud's bare right hand moving to rest on her right knee beside him. She froze for a moment, trying to decide how to react to his uncharacteristic display of support. It had always been her lifting him up, pushing him forward, tending to his wounds both physical and emotional. But now… it was his hand resting on her knee, his thumb drawing circles on her kneecap. She didn't know what to think of the role reversal, her mind scrambling for an action, a word, anything…

But she didn't have to…

Cloud lifted his hand from her knee and turned his body, pulling his legs up to the same position she was in, facing her now very surprised eyes, knee-to-knee, face-to-face.

She felt her breathing hitch as he lifted his mako-enhanced orbs to meet her eyes. They were filled with so much unspoken emotion, pent up from years upon years of this same painful silence, slowly tearing at his soul, shredding it into thousands of pieces. She searched his eyes, picking out every last color and emotion she could manage: light blue hurt, dark blue desperation, cyan guilt, lavender longing…and a color she was not used to seeing in his eyes – emerald green, attached to an emotion that she had never noticed before either. The emotion caught her by surprise and she softly gasped when she recognized it. _When did Cloud start to feel fear_…?

Realizing his mistake, he quickly blinked and averted his eyes back to the window, but she was not letting this time slip past her. She reached out, with a new resolve, and grasped his chin, turning it back to face her, locking her eyes back onto his. Out of reflex, he shut his eyes tightly and caught his breath in his throat. "Cloud, open your eyes…"

He peeled his eyes open, but kept them downcast, staring at the quilted blanket below. "Cloud, look at me…"

He very hesitantly raised his eyes upward, shyly locking onto her own. She sighed as she saw the fear now plainly evident in his blue-green eyes. "What are you afraid of, Cloud?"

He averted his eyes again and frowned slightly, "What are you talking about? I don't get scared…"

She remembered that line from when he had been a stable boy in Kalm, a year before he left for SOLDIER. She had come to visit him one day and a chocobo had kicked her accidentally. He had run to help her, fear flashing in his then slate grey eyes. She had told him not to be scared, that she was fine, to which he had replied with the same words. They were both preteens at the time, a stark contrast from the people they were today, but still Cloud held on to that naïve claim that he had engineered to make himself seem invincible.

She was not going to let him play that card anymore, "No, Cloud. You are afraid. I can see it in your eyes."

He jerked his chin from her hand and rose from his spot on the bed, walking three paces to the window, one hand on his hip, the other resting on the handle of the door that led to the balcony overlooking the street. He squinted his eyes out at the dim streetlights, the rain falling in sheets, the fog that hung over the ground. She stood as well, wrapping her blanket around her shoulders, covering her pale form clad only in tight-spandex black shorts and a white tank top. She walked to where he stood, stopping directly beside him to his right, patiently peering at him with concern. The silence was back, but she would have none of it. "Cloud…stop playing around. You can't deny what I just saw with my own eyes-"

"Tifa, stop!" he said in a harsh whisper, his body beginning to tremble from both frustration and the fear that he denied so adamantly, "You don't know what you saw and you don't know what you are talking about."

She frowned deeply, throwing the blanket from her shoulders back onto the bed. She grabbed his right shoulder and turned him to face her only to have him shrug her hand off and turn to head for the door, "Leave me alone."

She could feel the anger rising in her. After all that they had been through together, all that she had sacrificed for him, all the time that she had waited patiently for him to get past the guilt he harbored over Aerith's death and realize how she, Tifa, really felt about him, he was just going to walk away? She didn't think so…

She followed after him, grabbing his left wrist before he reached the door, yanking him with a great force backwards, twisting his body to face her. She shoved him up against the wall, her forearm creating a bar across his chest and shoulders, pinning him there with her weight as leverage. Anger and hurt flashed in her honey-colored eyes, latching onto his now predominantly green orbs with a force she didn't think she would ever have to use on Cloud. "Don't you DARE walk away from me, Cloud Strife! I am not a little girl anymore and I will not watch your back as you leave again, like every other problem you have walked away from. I will NOT stand back and let you disappear again," she spat out in a harsh whisper.

His eyes looked sad for a moment before closing as he let out a deep sigh, "What does it matter now…? We're too far gone to make anything of this life."

Her frown deepened even further at his naïve and pathetic statement. Feeling her anger reach its peak and being completely unable to restrain herself any longer, she stepped away from Cloud just long enough to rear her hand back and punch him square in the left side of his jaw. He didn't fight back, but merely jerked his head to the right from the force and creased his forehead in pain, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment. She let her arms fall to her sides and bowed her head as adrenaline coursed through her veins, "Who is we? I don't recall ever being too far gone to make something great out of my life, no matter how much stupid shit has happened to me in the past to ruin it."

His eyes snapped open, raising a hand to rub the sore spot on his face, eyeing her cautiously, afraid of what she might do next, having realized the grave mistake in his words, "Tifa…?"

Her blazing eyes rose slowly to lock back onto his now startlingly ocean blue ones, "I happen to love many things in my life. I love Denzel and Marlene. I love running this quaint little bar six nights a week. I love watching the sunset through that courtesy window in the entryway. I love cooking dinner for all four of us on the nights when you happen to be home. I love listening to music while I clean. I love folding the laundry as I watch the kids play in their room across the hall. I love lying awake in bed every night, listening as you come up the stairs with your heavy boots and walk into your room, tossing your keys onto your desk and starting your shower..." she listed things, poking him in the chest with a finger harshly after every item in the queue.

She paused for a moment; building her nerve to say the last thing she needed to say to make her point. She could feel the emotion welling up in her and threatening to take over. She pitched forward slightly, resting her hand on Cloud's right shoulder, supporting her body with its connected forearm across his chest. She closed her eyes as she rested her forehead on her arm that was tense across his firm chest. Bating her breath, she let out a shaky sigh, fighting back the tears that threatened to fall from her quickly filling eyes. She felt him beginning to tremble beneath her as he absorbed the emotions she was radiating. She choked back a sob that threatened to tear from her, clenching her fist around the shoulder of his shirt to ground herself. She felt him jump as she slammed her free hand against the wall, palm down, directly beside his face.

Then, the words fell from her lips followed by a broken sigh, "I love you…Cloud Strife. If anyone can tell when you are afraid, it's me."

Then the silence returned. This time it was more painful than ever, but she didn't care. She finally could hold on no longer. With her words in the open and her heart bare in front of him, she closed her eyes tightly, tears spilling from them into the silence, flowing down her arm and soaking into the white t-shirt that he wore, now thoroughly wrinkled from her fist.

There was nothing left for her to do, for she had spent her whole life trying to make sure that he was okay, that everyone else was okay. No one was there to help her, but it didn't matter, for she preferred it that way. She didn't tell him these things so that he would feel sorry for her or offer her some sort of pity. No, she was above that. All she wanted was to live knowing that she had done all that she could to make sure he knew how she felt about him. Even if it left her heartbroken he needed to know that someone loved him.

Finally, her body gave way to the sobs that were the last attempt she made at restraining her emotions. She pushed herself off of him, turning her back to the stunned ex-SOLDIER and walking a few steps towards the bed, trying to put as much distance between the two of them as possible. She didn't make it there, instead crumbling to the floor in a heap of tears, sobs, and trembling limbs. Her knees hit the wooden planks with a sickening thud and her hands came to cover her face, her elbows tucked into her knees and her head facing down. Her hair cascaded over her shoulders, creating a curtain around her face, shielding it from the outside world as she sobbed into her now drenched hands, Cloud watching on in stunned silence at the completely uncharacteristic display of emotion from the usually impermeable barmaid.

She never expected what happened next.

As soon as she stopped sobbing enough to take a deep breath, she felt warm, soft arms wrapping around her shoulders, and silky spikes tickling her ear as Cloud's head came to rest beside her cheek. Her breath hitched as she felt his arms cross over themselves, enveloping her in a backwards embrace, a warmth filling her very soul as his heat penetrated the cold aura surrounding her. His toned abs were pressed tightly against her bent back, his breath hot on her ear as he breathed carefully and slowly.

Her sobs subsided and she calmed herself down to the occasional sniffle and trembling breath, though the tears continued to flow. His presence was calming, soothing the stinging pain in her chest as she tried to calm her breathing. His arms began to retreat, and she thought he was leaving. How wrong she was…

His right arm grasped her right shoulder, pulling her to the right as his left arm dipped underneath her, scooping her up into his arms 'bridal style'. She gasped softly as he lifted her into the air, her arms clinging to his tense form as he carried her over to the bed. Instead of putting her down, though, he stepped onto the mattress, resting his back against the headboard and crossing his legs under him, cradling her in his lap and holding her to his chest. She nearly stopped breathing when she felt him pull the blanket over them and move his left hand to run his fingers through her hair in an intensely soothing gesture. "C-Cloud…?"

"Shh…Tifa. Don't talk," he muttered under his breath as he continued to stroke her hair, his heartbeat pounding under her head cradled against his chest.

She allowed herself to sink into the intoxicating warmth that was Cloud, burrowing her face into his toned chest and wrapping her arms around his lean waist for comfort. This feeling was amazing to her, new and welcome. This side of Cloud was one that she had only seen glimpses of in the past: the way he caressed her cheek when she awoke on Mt. Nibel near the Mako Reactor after Sephiroth injured her when she was only fifteen, the way he cradled her torso in his arms when he found her collapsed in Aerith's church after her fight with Loz, and the way he had embraced her after the Omega Crisis was finished and they were searching for Vincent. This was the same emotion flowing from him, though this time it was much stronger.

She finally lifted her head, shifting in his lap to face him at eye level, her upper body twisting to the left as she felt his arm tighten around her. His breath tickled her cheek as she leaned forward and embraced him, her arms around his shoulders and her forehead against his own. They sat like that for several minutes, listening to the patter of the rain and the rumbling thunder as the storm continued to rage on, lightning flashes illuminating the dim room, serenading them in a way.

A sudden burden of loss felt lifted from her own heart; thoughts of her tortured past feeling all but meaningless in the light of these recent developments. All that mattered was the moment they were now experiencing. Warmth, support, hopes, and dare she imagine, love were ever present in that room. She listened to the soft sound of his breathing, the rhythmic beating of his heart, the smooth sounds of the storm outside. It was almost surreal. She closed her eyes, taking in the hint of cinnamon on his breath, smiling softly at the scent fetish he had obtained upon his recovery from mako poisoning several years ago.

Then, the time came when the scent, warmth and emotion were too much for her to resist, crashing over her like a tidal wave in a hurricane. She wanted to hold-off for his sake and give him a chance to sort things out in his head before making any rash decisions, but now she found herself powerless to fight her need any longer and succumbed to the one desire that she had not yet confessed. There, in Cloud's warm embrace she tilted her head slowly and cautiously to the left, brushing her nose against his own, causing him to stir a bit at the alien feeling. She breathed a soft sigh as she opened her eyes halfway to take in the close sight of his long blonde eyelashes, "It's okay to be afraid. It's what keeps you human…" she whispered before sliding them shut once more as she closed the gap between them, placing a chaste, yet firm, kiss against his extremely soft lips.

She felt and heard the sharp intake of breath and the trembling of his lithe form beneath her eager lips, still opening and closing over his own, giving him time to respond or deny. She felt her heart swell with excitement when he tentatively opened his lips, allowing her entrance, slithering his hot tongue against her own. Kissing Cloud was like eating a cinnamon stick and drinking hot apple cider at the same time. Though the flavor was definitely cinnamon, his tongue was warm, spicy, and smooth like a rich cider running over her own tongue.

She felt his arms wrap tightly around her lean body, holding her tightly to him as he deepened the kiss, moaning softly into her mouth at the new sensations. Finally, when oxygen was a necessity, Cloud broke this kiss, rubbing his nose against her own affectionately. "Tifa…"

His voice was soft, pleading and reassuring all at once, and it confused her. She lifted her head to look at him and smiled when her eyes met his blushing face again. They were not afraid, a little sad and broken, but no longer afraid. It had been a long time since she'd seen his gaze so clear, peaceful, and calm, "I think we're gonna be okay…" he muttered against her lips, brushing them with his own once more before sliding down to the pillow, pulling her against him.

She nodded silently, taking in the residual warmth of his body pressed against hers. She sighed a contented breath, nuzzling against his neck and planting another kiss on his trembling jaw, "I think you're right, Cloud. I think you're right…"


	6. Can I Hold You Forever

**BTW**: I am taking requests for prompts. I know that a lot of people do this, but it's hard to come up with bunches of prompts for the same theme and have everyone like them for originality. So, feel free to leave me a review or PM me if there is something that you would like me to write on. The continuing theme is _**Cloud and Tifa's First Kiss**_. So I am going to need a bunch of different scenarios that people want to see Cloud and Tifa have their first kiss. Some of these will be lemons, others limes, and some just sweet/innocent little drabbles.

**Disclaimer**: Clearly I do not own any of the FFVII characters, locations, spells, weapons, or anything else in Gaia that is clearly not mine. They belong to Square Enix. I have made a few tweaks to the canon, but nothing major. The excerpt of text towards the end of the chapter is a paragraph from the Advent Children script. I do not own.

**Warning**: This one-shot is rated a strong T or very soft M for mild sexual situations and language. Sorry, no lemon in this one. Thoughts are in _italics_.

**Timeline and Location**: This takes place mostly in 7th Heaven. It occurs approximately six months after the events of Advent Children.

_**Special Thanks**_: I wanted to thank another fellow author for their request of this considerably entertaining prompt. It has probably been the most fun to write so far, so this one is dedicated to _**CloTi Kismet**_! To all the others, wait patiently. More are definitely coming.

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~*_**Can I Hold You Forever**_*~

The sound of the Fenrir came to a humming halt as Cloud kicked the bike stand down and lifted himself off of the vehicle. He had just returned to 7th Heaven from a delivery out in Kalm where Barret and Elmyra had requested the spiky-haired man deliver their new stock of ammo for Barret's gun-arm. Cloud thought it was going to be just another routine delivery with the exception of some added hugs from Elmyra, ankle hugs from Marlene, and slaps on the shoulder from Barret. Boy, was he wrong.

_He hadn't realized that he was walking into a social deathtrap when he crossed that threshold; entering into a room filled with pressures he never thought he would have to encounter from that particular set of friends. Sure, the conversation had been polite and civil…until Barret had mentioned the idea of Cloud settling down now that everything was calm once again. Cloud had merely shrugged it off, considering it small talk and prepared to leave._

_T__hen Barret had asked him 'when in the hell he was gonna get around to askin' Tifa to marry him.' Cloud had frozen, blinking in shock at the commanding question directed from the oversized man. He had merely chuckled and shook his head, grabbing his keys and walking out of the door to return home._

He breathed a sigh of relief as he walked the steps up to the entrance to the quaint bar that had really picked up quite a bit of business over the last few years. As he pulled the handle, signaling the small bell, he allowed his mind to wander a bit.

The fighting was over for now, Kadaj and his brothers defeated, Sephiroth banished to his nightmares once again. His and Denzel's geo-stigma had been miraculously cured, not even leaving a scar to plague their memories. The greatest step that had been taken was the final act of Cloud finally forgiving himself for not being able to save his fallen friends from death, ultimately letting go of most of the guilt he had been carrying as a weight on his heart. So, indeed, it would be a lie to say that Cloud hadn't thought about settling down.

His friends had all begun to settle down: some marrying, having children, and others starting relationships. As such, they were beginning to badger him about this prospect, reminding him constantly since the last battle that it was time for him to move forward and make a family of his own, Tifa being the natural choice for him, considering their already close history.

Entering the bar, soon to open for the night's business, he was met with the sight of the object of the topic. Tifa Lockhart stood behind the counter, clad in her normal black attire, writing notes in her records book and counting out cash for the base content of the register for that night. He gazed at her from afar, a soft smile threatening to tug at his pale lips.

What his friends didn't know, through all of their mindless chatter and constant prodding, was that Cloud had already decided what he wanted to do with his life long before they began bugging him about it. In the last six months following his last battle against Sephiroth and his ultimate self-acceptance, he had decided, in his heart, that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Tifa, his childhood friend from quaint little Nibelheim.

They had already been through so much together, and she had been there for him every step of his long, hard journey, never giving up on him. It hurt his heart to think that he had been so blind to how amazing of a woman she really was, forgetting what it was like to feel those warm feelings that he used to get around her when they were children. He had been walking around in a haze for the last several years, burdened by the guilt, hopelessness, and struggle to remember who he really was.

Cloud had been planning to ask her to marry him for the last month and a half, already having visited a jeweler to purchase the perfect ring he had envisioned for her. It was a platinum ring with a thin band, seating a ½ carat teardrop diamond in the center, two tiny round sapphires resting softly beside it.

He had nearly asked her on a few occasions, planning it out in his head the night before, tucking the small burgundy velvet box into his pants pocket, only to bail the next day, figuring that it just wasn't the right time yet. He wanted it to feel special, to feel right. Really he was just scared that she might not have the same ideas for the future as he did, worried that over time she had somehow grown out of the little school-girl crush she had harbored for him before he left for SOLDIER.

Taking a few steps forward, he nodded as she finally noticed his presence, resting her pen lightly on the book, giving him a warm smile as she reached into the refrigerator behind her. She pulled out an icy bottle of Sprite, something he had acquired a taste for over the past few years, tossing it to him as he approached. He caught it carefully, twisting the cap off and taking a swig, enjoying the burn of carbonation down his throat. He walked up behind her, grabbing the tattered dishrag by the sink and beginning to fill up the steel basin with soapy water.

This had become sort of a routine since he had started taking fewer jobs recently. He would come home in the afternoon and help her prepare the bar for the service that night, sometimes sticking around to assist with the actual work upon opening as well. It had brought them closer, working together towards a common goal more domestic than killing monsters and defeating insane, evil madmen.

Tonight the bar was closed, reserving the room for an AVALANCHE party celebrating six months free of crises, a reflection of the blessed peace that had settled over them. All Cloud could foresee was another stressful night ahead of him, wondering silently if Tifa was receiving the same ridiculous treatment from Yuffie and Cid as he had from Barret and Reeve. In all reality, he didn't really mind the pestering, taking it as encouragement and support from the people closest to him. He definitely wouldn't have to worry about anyone objecting to the probable union. It just bothered him a bit that there wouldn't be a whole lot of surprise involved for the group, but he figured Tifa would be shocked enough to compensate for it.

As he began to wash the dirty glasses, he observed the woman for several minutes; her lean fingers on her left hand holding the page steady as she wrote in the lines with her right. He wondered what her ring finger would look like once he finally got the nerve to decorate it with his promise of forever.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

The party had been in full swing for a few hours now, Cid and Barret thoroughly soaked with alcohol and much more chatty than usual. Elmyra and Shera mingled in the corner with Marlene, Denzel, and Shera's new baby, Jet. Reeve, Red XIII, and Cait Sith were crowded around the plasma TV watching reruns of some cartoon that happened to be airing at 11 o' clock that night. Vincent was doing his best to remain as aloof as possible, ignoring the annoying prattling of Yuffie beside him, as he observed the attendees silently.

Then Cloud's eyes found their way to his favorite person. Tifa was currently mixing a pitcher of a sapphire colored iced alcohol, and Cloud suddenly found himself reminded of the ring that still lay safely tucked away in his pocket, his hand caressing the slight bulged on his thigh. His thoughts were interrupted by the obnoxious sound of Cid's voice filling his ears, slurred slightly from the alcohol, "Ey, knucklehead, 'ave you proposed to that fine young woman over there yet? I hear marriage licenses er free now, you should get on that while it's hot!"

Cloud closed his eyes in irritation, shaking his head at the plastered pilot, before walking over to Tifa, sitting on the barstool, and grabbing a glass of whatever it was she had just poured. She gave him a sigh and shook her head as well; "Old drunk geezer…won't remember a damn thing tomorrow morning. I take it they have been badgering you as well?"

Cloud nodded curtly, downing the liquid in the glass, content with the slight burn in his chest as it settled. He set the glass back on the counter as Barret came over, slapping him hard on the shoulder, "So…any luck yet?"

Prickling under the harsh touch, he heard Yuffie turn to the two of them and ask, in a grating tone, "So…when should I mark my calendar for? I wouldn't want to miss my two best friends big day!"

Tifa could see the fatigue in Cloud's shoulders, the tension in his brow, and the irritation in his eyes as he poured another drink. She had noticed that Cloud had been a lot more stressed out lately, staying up late at night often and occasionally fading into deep thought throughout the day. The added stress of their friends couldn't be helping his already stressed-out situation. Feeling sorry for him and deciding to try to make things easier on the tired ex-SOLDIER, she made a quick decision in her mind, praying that he wouldn't be too angry with her at the end of the night.

She slowly reached under the counter to the register, fingering around the drawer until she found the desired item. She inconspicuously pulled out a gold-banded ring with a single 1-carat diamond in the center, thanking whatever God there was that it was the right size as she slid it onto her left ring finger.

Just as the voices were becoming nearly too loud to bear, she grabbed a shot of the alcohol she had just mixed, downing it quickly and slamming the empty glass on the bar top, grabbing everyone's attention, including Cloud's. Satisfied that she wouldn't have to repeat herself, she turned to Yuffie and pulled her face into a serious stare, "Sometime in the spring. We haven't decided for sure yet."

That was all it took to fill the bar with a thick silence, all the faces around her, especially the one of spiky blonde in front of her, gawked with slack jaws and wide eyes. She smiled sheepishly, sliding her cup over to pour another drink. _I have a feeling I'm going to really need this now_.

She nearly counted it off in her head as the room suddenly filled with loud chatter and questions began to fly her way. She said nothing, merely flashing her left hand to the audience before her, purposely avoiding eye contact with Cloud. This was exceedingly difficult considering he was seated right in front of her. Yuffie was the first to grab her hand and stare in awe at the piece of jewelry, "Gawd, Cloud. At least you have good taste."

"I do…?" came the mumbled reply from the stunned swordsman beside her as he glanced over to catch a glimpse of the piece of jewelry, thanking Gaia that his ring looked nothing like it.

Cid wrapped a friendly arm around Cloud's shoulder, "You sly dog, you…when did ya do it?"

Cloud froze, but Tifa was there to bail him out, "He asked me about a month and a half ago. I apologize, but we just couldn't find the right time to tell you. We were going to tonight, but you beat us to it."

Cloud was speechless, unable to utter a word, so no one else approached him. After the expected rounds of congratulations, slaps on Cloud's back, and squealing hugs for Tifa, Barret coughed loudly, clearing his throat for attention. "Hey, why don't the two lovebirds show us a kiss or two? We've been waiting impatiently and anxiously to see this story unfold before our eyes…"

Then, even Tifa froze as the crowd around them began to catcall and toss out phrases such as 'Come on, don't be shy?' and 'I bet you do it all the time!'

As the teasing continued, she finally allowed herself to make eye contact with Cloud, who was currently an intense shade of pale ivory, all the color drained from his face. She met his eyes and gave him a look that said, 'I'm so sorry…but let's just do it so they'll shut up.'

So Tifa, with a slight blush on her face, pranced over to Cloud and, bending over shyly, smacked a quick kiss on his cheek, just barely missing his lips to the right.

And of course, the room filled with disappointed groans and rounds of 'C'mon, give him a real kiss!' and 'You call that a kiss?!'

Tifa rolled her eyes, doing her best to conceal the nerves that threatened to make her sick. Sighing deeply, now a brighter shade of red, Tifa grabbed Cloud's right forearm, lifting him from his seat on the barstool, noticing for the first time how much taller than her he really was. Leaving her hand on his arm, just above his longer glove, she gave him another apologetic glance. She reached her free hand up and gently grasped the back of Cloud's neck, finding the skin there to be extremely soft. She took a deep breath and slowly pulled his head down toward hers face, tilting her head slightly to the right as she fit her lips firmly, but softly to his own, surprisingly warm, full ones.

The kiss didn't last very long; five seconds at the most, but she found that in that short span of time, she was reluctant to withdraw. She pulled away slowly, making it a priority not to meet his haunting eyes on the retreat. Part of her was sad that their first kiss had to be a fake display to their friends. She wanted nothing more than to kick everyone out and run to Cloud, apologizing profusely for what had just happened.

"Yeah! Now that was a real kiss! Congrats you two," came the obnoxious sound of Cid's drunk voice, his arm around his wife and child.

Luckily, now that everyone was satisfied both emotionally and physically, they decided to call it a night, giving a last few hugs, wishing the 'couple' well, and demanding invitations as soon as they set a date.

When the last member of AVALANCHE, Reeve, exited the building, she paced to the door, locking the deadbolt, and drawing the courtesy blinds. By the time she had secured their privacy, she turned to find that Cloud had already left, probably brooding in his bedroom at that very moment. Deciding that cleaning could wait until morning, she removed the ring from her finger, replacing it in the register, thanking whoever it was that accidentally left it in the bar last night. She sighed deeply and ran a hand through her hair as she made her way to the staircase, afraid of what she would find at the top.

She knew that it was not something she could put off. She owed him an apology and there was no excuse to avoid him. She had subjected him to this, so she needed to take responsibility and be a grown up about it.

When she reached the top of the stairs, she was surprised to find that Cloud's door was ajar, a faint light pooling from the foot-wide opening in the door. She hesitantly walked to the doorway, pushing the door open slowly, gasping softly when she realized that he was standing at the window, his arms crossed over his chest, his body turned towards the door, staring at her intently. _Wait, was he expecting me_?

She entered the room quietly, walking a few paces forward before wrapping her arms around herself and leaning against the desk beside her, searching his eyes for some hint at what he was feeling. She noticed that his skin was a beautiful alabaster in the moonlight, giving him an almost ethereal look.

Gathering her courage, she bowed her head slightly, walking towards him, approaching with nervousness in every step, "C-Cloud…I'm so sorry for what happened down there. I didn't mean to drag you into that and make you uncomfortable. The whole point was to try to get them off of your back so that you would feel **less** uncomfortable. I-I understand if you are extremely upset with me right now. I don't blame you. What I'm trying to ask is if you can…forgive me? I promise I'll fix this all tomorrow…" she trailed off as she bowed her head again.

They stood there for a few moments, her head still dropped in apologetic silence. What she didn't expect was the low, soft chuckle that escaped his throat, his gloved fingertips lifting her chin to meet his eyes, glowing with amusement. She could tell that he was trying to hold back an intense laughter that threatened to spill from him. A very deep frown spread over her face. _What? He's not mad_?

"C-Cloud…?" she spoke, her voice ragged and horribly confused.

He let a soft smile quirk at the corners of his lips, withdrawing his hand from her chin, "You have no idea, but you just made my life a whole lot easier…" he said, a laugh hidden in his words, mixed in with relief and contentment.

"W-What…?" stuttered the still thoroughly confused martial artist as she watched him run his right hand through his spiky hair.

He let out a nervous laugh, turning his back to her as he shuffled papers around on his desk, busying his hands. She watched as his shoulders rippled while his hands glided along the wooden surface, shifting and stacking different items. Taking a deep breath she took a few steps, closing in the distance between them by placing a firm hand on his left shoulder, noticing that his body was lightly trembling beneath her hand, "C-Cloud…what is it? You're shaking…"

She felt his body sigh deeply, watching with renewed interest as his fingers began to work at the gloves on his hands, slipping them off hesitantly and tossing them on top of a stack of old receipts. His head bowed, shoulders bending slightly as he turned his hands over, gazing down at all of the old scars, the faded tattoo, the incomplete brand. He let out a breath in surprise as he felt Tifa come around to his left side, grabbing his elbow and turning him to face her. She looked down at these hands, running her lithe fingers over the markings. She let her eyes scan sadly over the incomplete Shinra 'S' brand that he had received when entering SOLDIER, the tattooed barcode he had acquired as an experiment in Hojo's lab, the scars that littered the flawless skin from his many battles and training.

As he watched her exploring his hands, he was reminded of the first time she had really expressed how she felt about him:

_"Stop running! I know...even if you find the kids you might not be able to help them. Maybe something will happen that can never unhappen, and that scares you, doesn't it? But you need to think about now, really take it in! Look at you! You think you got it so damn hard! Well you hate being alone, so let people in. Sure you might not answer the phone, but I don't see you throwing it away either...Which is it? A memory or us?"_

She had been so desperate, so frustrated…so raw and open before him. That was the moment he knew that he wanted her, feeling her heart pouring out to him. Her words whispered across his mind. _A memory or us_? How stupid he had been at the time to not realize how much she had cared about him. He had already missed out on the opportunity of 'us' when Marlene had gone to live with Barret, Denzel moving in with Cid and Shera. He knew in his heart that he couldn't bear to miss the 'us' of he and Tifa. He had missed so much of her life already; he didn't want to miss anymore to his selfishness and pride.

Twisting his hands, he grasped onto her cool palms, evoking a soft gasp from her at the sign of affection. He drew soft circles on the backs of her hands as he gazed down at the joined hands, "Tifa, what do you think of all of this pressure. I haven't even been able to ask you about how all this is affecting you yet."

She sighed heavily, shrugging her shoulders weakly, "Well, I figure that they all worry about us. They just want us to be happy in the end and they think that by forcing us into some corner we will be able to make something happen."

Cloud nodded silently, his eyes still trained on her hands, now gripping his own in return. Tensing a bit, he caught his breath as his mind clicked. _I need to do this_…

He dropped her right hand, meeting her eyes for the first time in several minutes. Smirking softly, he pulled on it, leading her towards the window, "C'mon. There is something I want to show you."

She looked at him with a puzzled expression on her face, "O-Okay…"

He turned upon reaching the window, opening it, feeling the cold night air breeze through the opening, "Do you trust me?"

She smiled softly at him, rolling her eyes, "You should know the answer to that by now."

He chuckled softly, leaning his upper body out of the window before grabbing the pipes on the eaves, lifting his body up and flipping onto the roof with practiced ease. She watched in amusement as he leaned back over the edge, extending a naked hand down to her, beckoning her to grab on.

She blinked, smiling softly at a memory. The last time that she had seen him reaching down to her, his hands ungloved, was that night several years ago, when he helped her onto that well. That was the night that he promised her his loyalty and eternal protection. That was the night she had fallen hard for him, only to lose him not too long after.

Reaching her hand up and grasping onto his wrist, his own hand tightening around hers, she could feel herself flying through the air up onto the rooftop above, landing securely in his strong arms as they wrapped around her shoulders instinctively. She felt her sense assaulted with the scent of cinnamon and vanilla as her face came close to his neck from the momentum. He smiled as she leaned into him impulsively, closing his eyes for a moment, just enjoying the closeness.

He retreated from her, grasping her left hand again, pulling her a few paces across the slanted rooftop, careful not to venture too far to the edge, knowing she wasn't used to his favorite spot yet. Reaching his destination, she gasped at the view before her. Looking out from the top of the roof on the left side, she could see the entire cityscape of Edge on toward the ruins of Midgar. The sight was breathtaking, the wind blowing through her hair with just enough force to whip it around her neck, massaging the sides of her chin as the silky locks fanned out across her shoulders. She didn't notice the strange look that Cloud was directing her way.

She didn't notice that he had approached her until she felt an arm slide slowly and shyly around her waist, pulling her flush against the warm body attached to it. She froze, unable to decipher the meaning behind it all. "C-Cloud…?"

He closed his eyes and buried his face in her neck, taking in the intoxicating scent of her lavender shampoo and the fading scent of cigarette smoke and alcohol from the party earlier that night. He could feel her holding her breath as he tightened his grip around her waist. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

She nodded softly, closing her eyes for a moment to take in the feel of Cloud's warmth mixed with the cool breeze on her hot skin. "Very…"

Suddenly, he grasped her left hand again, turning her to face him, his back to the amazing view on the other side. She stared at him with an uncensored longing in her eyes as she searched his mako-enhanced orbs for some sign as to what he was thinking. She didn't have to wait long to find out though, her breath catching in her throat as he leaned forward, planting a chaste kiss on her left cheekbone, brushing his lips softly over the warm, soft skin below.

Her eyes widened as he withdrew, meeting her eyes with a faint blush across his cheeks. Suddenly feeling nervous again, he took a deep breath, "Hey, Tifa…"

She tilted her head slightly, peering into his eyes with interest, "Yes, Cloud?"

He sighed deeply, grasping her left hand in his trembling fingers, dropping her right to dip into his left pocket as nonchalantly as he could manage, grabbing the small velvet box. His hand remained in his pocket as he parted his lips slightly, taking in another deep breath as she continued searching his eyes, now blazing a deep ocean blue. "Cloud…? What's wrong?" she whispered with concern in her voice and reflected in her eyes.

His bottom lip trembled as his hand tightened around the burgundy box in his left pocket, sheltered beneath the thick fabric of his thick black pants. "Tifa…what do you think about fixing this problem right now?"

She frowned slightly, "What do you mean?" she asked, tightening her hold on his hand.

He opened his mouth, closing it again before grunting at his nerves. Finally, gritted his teeth, raising his eyes to meet hers, bearing into them with determination, "That lie you told…to all of our friends; it doesn't have to be a lie, you know…"

Her eyes widened a bit, not quite understanding him. _No, it couldn't be_… she thought, blinking her eyes a few times.

Suddenly, the courage he needed was flowing through him and he was moving, his hand sliding from him pocket, box firmly in his palm. She hadn't noticed yet, but she couldn't miss his descending form, lowering himself to his right knee on the ground, his head bowed, grasping her hand tightly. "C-Cloud…"

He jerked his head up to face her, taking in the shocked sight of her frozen form. He closed his eyes slowly before letting a soft smile adorn his features, "Tifa…I've wanted to do this for a long time now. I just never got the nerve to do it. But now…I know I can't put it off anymore."

Her eyes widened in realization of what was actually happening, her jaw slackening in shock. He lowered his eyes to the box in his hand, lifting it into her view, turning it around in his hand, her free hand flying up to her mouth with a gasp. "I guess, what I'm trying to say is…I'm crazy about you. I can't think of anyone else that I could even consider spending the rest of my life beside. So…what I want to know…"

Tifa's eyes were starting to well up with tears as she watched the man she had loved since she was twelve years old confess his loyalty to her once again, "…is?" she whispered, pressing him on.

He could feel the moisture building in his own eyes as he fought down the adrenaline that threatened to make him fall apart. This was it; the moment that he had saved up over a month's pay, dug into his savings, built his nerve, and lost sleep for. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he pushed the words out, "Will you, Tifa…? Will you be my wife? Let me make a new promise to you?"

With those words, he popped the box open, hearing Tifa's loud gasp and squeak at the sight of the beautiful ring, sparkling in the moonlight; the light dancing off of the perfectly pure facets in the sapphires and diamond embraced in the platinum metal of the thin band. "I thought you would never ask…" she whispered, her hand shaking in his own.

Before he could even reach over to pull the ring out of the box to put on her finger, she had collapsed against him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder, the collar of his sweater tickling her ear, her tears flowing freely now. She clung to him like a lifeline, afraid that if she let go this would all disappear and she would be back where she was: alone.

Cloud returned the embrace for a few moments, but soon pushed her back gently, lifting her left hand to his eye level, popping the ring out of the box. He set the box on the roof beside them, gazing into her watery eyes filled with such hope and joy. He gently slid the ring onto its new home, holding it there for a moment, taking in the beauty of it adorning her hand. She let out laugh through her tears, throwing her arms back around his neck, "Can I hold you forever?" she whispered cautiously in his ear, sending chills down his spine.

He smiled at the clichéd words, letting his eyes close as she slid his right hand to the back of her neck. Subtly, he tilted her chin back to look up at him, her whisky eyes sparkling prettier than the expensive ring on her hand. Dipping down, he softly pressed his lips to hers, reveling in the soft warmth of her delicate petals. She responded eagerly, opening and closing her mouth over his own, consummating their engagement. After a few blissful moments, he pulled back, staring forward into those endless eyes, "Does that answer your question?"


	7. Over and Over

**Disclaimer**: Clearly I do not own any of the FFVII characters, locations, spells, weapons, or anything else in Gaia that is clearly not mine. They belong to Square Enix. I have made a few tweaks to the canon, but nothing major. This one-shot is inspired by the song _Over and Over _by the band Three Days Grace. _**All song lyrics are copyrighted to Three Days Grace and their respective record company. I do NOT own them.**_ So please do not attempt to report me for plagiarism. I will laugh at you.

**Warning**: This one-shot is rated M for sexual situations (lemon), violence, language, and angst. This one's kind of dark. I wouldn't call it a song fic, but it is inspired by a song. Thoughts are in _italics_.

**Timeline and Location**: Takes place mostly at Aerith's Church. Is set between Advent Children & Dirge of Cerberus.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

~*_**Over and Over**_*~

Tifa had always been a thinker; analyzing everything she came across, doing her best to figure out every puzzle that stood in her way. Pushing past her initial reservations and beating whatever question she had into submission with her witty intellect and sharp calculative faculties. She prided herself on usually being the first to tackle and crack any code, puzzle, problem, or issue that she or her friends and family had the misfortune of encountering. But with all of her observations, deductive properties, and sharp skills, there was one enigma she could never seem to figure out. That enigma was Cloud Strife.

Cloud was the polar opposite of Tifa. Where Tifa was merry and social, Cloud was reserved and shy. Where Tifa was very affectionate and family-oriented, Cloud was more of an awkward loner. The only trait that Cloud and Tifa had always had in common, no matter the circumstances or point in either of their lives, was the fact that they were both deep thinkers.

Cloud, like Tifa, had that deep, calculating, serious quality about him that forced him to see a plan out to its end. In fact, he spent most of his time deep in thought. No one, not even Tifa, who knew him better than anyone else, knew what went through the blonde chocobo-head. It was just one of the many qualities that he had Tifa completely beat on.

Something that Tifa had never managed to do, that she had been trying to succeed at for the past several years, was to figure out how Cloud really felt about her. There wasn't a snowball's chance in hell of her asking him. No, that was much to forward, even for Tifa. She didn't want to scare him off, intimidate him, or make him feel obligated to feel a certain way about her…because she knew he would if it would make her happy, regardless if it was what he actually felt. She didn't want him to feel like he owed her something.

She sighed deeply as she listened to the words of the song that happened to be playing on the sound system at 7th Heaven as she cleaned the last of the glasses after closing the bar down for the night. It was 2:30am and it was beginning to rain outside…

"_**I feel it every day; it's all the same**_

_**It brings me down but I'm the one to blame.**_

_**I've tried everything to get away, so here I go again…**_

_**Chasing you down again. **_

_**Why do I do this?"**_

Tifa scoffed at the words of the gruff voice in the rock band, feeling them sting all too close to home. She knew in her heart that she had loved Cloud since they were younger kids. Everyone knew that he loved her too…but what they didn't know was the secret that she kept locked away in her very soul, hidden where no one should ever be able to steal it, unless she were to release it.

"_**Over and over; Over and over**_

_**I fall for you…**_

_**Over and over; Over and over **_

_**I try not to…"**_

Cloud had always been a mystery to her and that didn't appear to be changing anytime soon. She had loved him deeply for as long as she could remember, but she had fallen madly 'in love' with him so much that it hurt sometimes exactly two and a half years ago…She remembered the moment well.

_They had been sitting on the gondola at the Gold Saucer. It had been chilly, so they were huddled fairly close together for warmth. They had been chatting lightly when there was a loud bang that caused her to nearly jump out of her skin, clutching onto Cloud's knee with a vice grip. She soon realized that it was only fireworks, and proceeded to stare out of the window, taking in the pretty reds, blues, purples, and greens that showered in sparkles to the ground below. She hadn't realized just how close they really were, their knees brushing softly against each other's, the lights dancing along his perfectly chiseled face, glowing in the moonlight…_

But of course, Cloud didn't appear to have felt a thing.

"_**It feels like every day stays the same**_

_**It's dragging me down and I can't pull away.**_

_**So here I go again…**_

_**Chasing you down again.**_

_**Why do I do this?"**_

The longer she stayed silent, the more it made her ache inside to know that he was completely and utterly oblivious to her emotions. All that he knew, and all that he ever appeared to care to know was that she cared about him and was there for him when he needed her to be. Of course, he was there for her too, though he never really knew how to handle most situations, so she usually never asked anything of him. It wasn't that he didn't care; he was just inexperienced in the realm of affection and emotional stability. He was a stranger in his own mind, so how could she possibly impose the troubles of _her_ mind onto him? She wouldn't…

"_**You make me fall for you**_

_**Over and over; over and over**_

_**You don't even try…**_

_**So many thoughts that I can't get out of my head**_

_**I try to live without you, every time I do I feel dead.**_

_**I know what's best for me**_

_**But I want you instead.**_

_**I'll keep on wasting my time…"**_

She could feel her eyes growing wet as the words flowed from the speakers around her, the sound of the rain and darkness of the late night only succeeding in making her feel even more emotionally exhausted. She had heard enough of this song…

She stalked angrily to her iPod behind the counter, attached to the overhead speakers she had installed a few months ago, and angrily hit the stop button, leaving the room in an abrupt and heavy silence, the sound of the rain taking over as her cadence. "This is why I don't fucking listen to music while I'm thinking…" she muttered to herself, a lone tear trickling down her left cheek.

She swiped it away with a frustrated hand, the other pressed against the bar top as she leaned on it for support. Tifa was never one to get very emotional about much of anything, save death, but those words had struck a chord in her: a deep and painful chord at that. She let out a loud and heavy sigh, squeezing her eyes shut at the onslaught of anger, frustration, longing, and loneliness that had been building inside of her for the past seven years. Her body trembled against the counter top, her knuckles turning white from the force with which she clutched the edge.

Fighting down the wave of nausea and fatigue that washed over her from the intense emotional wall that was pummeling her to come down, she grabbed the dishtowel from the sink and hooked it forcefully on its handle. "The dishes can wait until the morning…" she whispered sharply to no one in particular.

She turned and headed for the staircase, fully intent on throwing herself into a steaming hot shower and forgetting about all of this for a few hours. As she walked across the polished wood, she couldn't help but wonder where Cloud was at this ungodly hour. She always worried about him when it stormed and he wasn't home...

Suddenly, just as her converse-clad foot hit the first step of the steep staircase, she froze. She felt herself overcome with a feeling that she was very unfamiliar with…understanding. Her eyes widened as she realized that she knew exactly where Cloud was at the moment. Her body grew rigid as she felt a shudder run through her at the gravity of her realization. "So, you still run and hide there…even though you know you have a place here?"

Her whisper was not intended to be vocalized, but there was no one in the house, so it didn't really matter. Barret had the kids now, and it was Marlene's birthday at the Chocobo ranch in Kalm and Denzel was more than thrilled to accompany.

Her hands balled up into fists, her blunt nails digging into her callused palms, hardened from her battle gloves and pruney from dishwashing. She knew that Aerith had visited Cloud during the fight with the remnants. He didn't have to tell Tifa that for her to know. Only Aerith could have given him enough peace to make him smile again.

Tifa's rage was building inside. _Why can't he smile for me? I have done nothing but support him and push him forward. I was the one that was his friend as a child when everyone else made fun of him, that nursed him back to health from mako-poisoning, helped him piece his memories back together, that helped him train with his new Buster sword, that tended to all of the wounds he acquired that the mako didn't handle immediately, that loved him_…_can't he at least smile for me?_

It wasn't fair.

After all that they had been through, he still had the ignorance to follow aimlessly a path that had no end. Lifting her head, eyes blazing, she was filled with an insane rage that she hadn't felt course through her since Sephiroth struck down her father, leaving him to die on Mt. Nibel. Knowing that she was being incredibly selfish, she let out a loud sigh, hoping to quell the feeling…but it was useless.

Turning around swiftly, she pulled her leather gloves from her pocket, working them onto her now stiff hands. Fueled by blind determination she marched to the door, opening it and slamming it shut behind her, rattling the glass. She was going to get answers this time. She was going to hear his thoughts from his own lips. She was done playing the 'let-me-read-Cloud's-tortured-conflicted-emo-mind' game.

Racing out into the rain, the violent storm crashing around her, she broke into a sprint headed down the vacant streets in the direction that she was pretty sure she would find him. Tifa, though she loved Aerith while she was alive, couldn't see why Cloud found her superior to herself. Was it the haunting green eyes, the blithe smile, and the sweet disposition? Cloud had unintentionally and unknowingly broken Tifa's spirits countless times, but she had always held onto him, hoping that one day he would come to his senses and see what was actually in front of him. That day had never come; she had given him seven years of patience and support and it had never arrived. It was time to take matters into her own hands…literally.

The pouring rain coursed over her body, heaving with exertion, arms swinging across her thoroughly soaked form, and feet splashing in puddles. Tifa didn't care how wet she had to be, how exhausted she would become, or how ill she became after all of this; she wanted Cloud back, and she would do what she had to in order to make that happen.

Her hair lay flat against her face, plastered to her neck and shoulders. For once, she was thankful that she had opted to cut a few feet off of the long tresses two years ago. Eventually, tears began to blend in with the torrential downpour that glided in rivers down her cheeks. Her legs and chest were starting to ache as she neared the building she was searching for. Her body was screaming at her to stop, but she wouldn't, for she only had a few more yards to cover.

Finally, she arrived at the giant doorway to Aerith's church, and sure enough, the Fenrir was parked inconspicuously in the bushes.

Slowing down to a fast walk, she stopped at the heavy door, leaning against it to catch her breath, for a moment reconsidering her position. "No, this ends tonight…"

With that said, she flung the doors open to the quaint church, taking in the darkness that encompassed it. Staring ahead, she saw the patch of flowers surrounding the Buster sword that marked Zack's memorial. As she heard the oak doors slide shut behind her, she remembered the day that Cloud had moved the priceless weapon there:

_The day had been a cold one in December, the frigid breeze enveloping the two of them in an icy embrace. She rode behind him on the Fenrir, her hands firmly on his waist as she sat against him on the seat. She had worn a pair of dark jeans, a black t-shirt, and leather jacket with her normal converse and battle gloves. He had worn his customary black pants, a long sleeved version of the black sweater he usually donned, and his normal gloves and boots. _

_Her hair whipped in the wind, her nose being tickled every so often by the violently waving blonde spikes in front of her as they made the journey from the cliff to the church. Their knees were dirty from planting the flowers in the bluff. _

_Upon arriving and parking the bike, they had entered the establishment silently, reverently, paying the ultimate respect for the dead. Breathing in the crisp, cold air of the church, they had walked to the patch of yellow and white flowers that still bloomed, even in the dead of winter, and even after all of these years. Cloud had held the sword before his face, silently speaking to its previous owner, before thrusting it into the ground in the center of the flowers. Zack and Aerith could finally be together again…_

She was broken out of her reverie by the sound of loud footsteps thudding out from behind one of the pillars on the left. She lifted her wet, sticky eyes to meet the startled face of Cloud, clad in his usual black attire, the Buster sword held in a defensive crouch, eyes blazing. She closed her eyes upon seeing him, relief washing through her that she he hadn't been doing anything overly stupid.

As she stood there, she failed to see the look of great concern flash over his face as he reattached his sword to his back and rushed over to her, grasping her soaked shoulders with gloved hands. "Tifa! What the hell are you doing out in this weather?!" his voice reached her ears at a harsh whisper.

She merely stood there, frozen and silent, hair plastered to her face and neck, tears streaming unnoticed down her face. He shook her shoulders forcefully, though not violently, "Tifa, answer me!"

She peeled her now red eyes open, lifting her face slowly to meet his worried mako-imbued gaze. He gasped softly at the puffiness of them, "Tifa…what's wrong?"

He had only seen her cry twice; once when her mother died when she was eight and again when Aerith died two years ago. Both were very pivotal reasons to shed tears and be overcome by emotion, but what had her so spooked this time? He was turning thought after thought over in his mind trying to figure out what had her so upset, but could come to no relevant conclusion. Sighing, he whispered, "Tifa, please talk to me…"

He had never seen her like this; it was a different type of sadness. It was like hollowness, emptiness, or desperation. He didn't understand how the strongest person he knew could be falling apart in front of him. He was not prepared for the words she spoke, for he didn't understand them at first. But when he finally came to the realization of the meaning behind her words, he felt his heart hit the floor and his jaw slacken.

Her words were shaky, soft, andbreathy, but he could feel the conviction behind them, "I guess you chose a memory after all…"

Her expression never changed when she spoke; not a blink, not a twitch, not a sigh. "W-What…?" he stuttered softly, very confused by where this conversation was going.

She let out a dry laugh, her mouth twisting into a sardonic smirk laced with grief, "Stop playing stupid, Cloud. It doesn't suit you…it never has."

His eyebrows hit the ceiling, "B-But I don't understa-"

His words became a gasp as she lifted her hands and placed them flat against his chest, fisting them in his sweater, pulling him right up to her face, "I said," she shoved him backwards about five feet, "stop playing stupid!" she spat.

His eyes were wild with confusion and fear as he watched her pace a circle around him, like a lioness stalking her prey, ready to pounce at any moment. Tifa was not one that you wanted to have a legitimate fight with. Her body was a deadly weapon that even he didn't dare to underestimate, "T-Tifa…what's going on? What did I do?"

She closed the distance between them, grabbing the front of his shirt again, this time slamming him into a pillar, dust falling on both of them, sticking to her wet hair, "Why do you think I'm here, Cloud? Take a good guess…"

He stared silently at her, his eyes flashing in the moonlight. Tifa had always been and still remained the only girl that could sufficiently kick his ass. She rolled her eyes, now dancing with anger and frustration, "That was not a rhetorical question, Strife…"

_Uh-oh…this is bad_. _Tifa never calls me by my last name unless I am in deep shit_. He had a feeling that he was knee deep in it with no end in sight, "Um-uh…something happened at the bar?" he asked quickly.

To his shock and misfortune, she reared her right hand back and punched him in the jaw, rattling him and causing him to stumble to his right, gripping the pillar for balance. "Wrong," she stated blankly, "Try again."

"Damn, Tifa…" he rubbed his jaw, feeling it start to swell already, "what the hell is wrong with you?"

She froze, "Try again!" she screamed at him, her words ringing off of the four walls of the small church.

His eyes widened, "Okay, okay…" he thought for a moment, "Did someone call you?"

She scoffed, walking deceptively slowly over to him. She spun around and knocked him in the temple with her left fist, the momentum sending him staggering back into another pillar, "Wrong again. Come on, Cloud; you aren't stupid."

He was thoroughly disturbed at this point. He didn't want her hitting him anymore, but he also didn't want to risk hurting her either, and nothing short of that would restrain her when she was like this, "Uh…Did you have another nightmare?"

He winced as she grabbed his shoulders, jumping into the air, flipping over him, and carrying him the rest of the way over to slam into the ground in front of her. He groaned as he sat up sorely, meeting her eyes, "Tifa, stop this! What is this accomplishing?" he pleaded with her.

"Then fucking answer me correctly!" she bellowed, her shoulders shaking with rage.

He stood in front of her, walking towards her to grab and still her. She was too quick, flipping backwards and upper cutting him with the top of her foot as she somersaulted the rest of the way over, sending him falling to the ground on his back with a loud thud, just as she had done to Loz in her battle against him in this very church. "Fucking answer me!" she said, kicking him in the ribs two or three times.

She listened to the grunts of pain until he caught her foot, yanking her down beside him and rolling on top of her, cutting off all escape and blocking off further damage. She struggled against him, writhing and jerking in a vain attempt at freeing herself. Cloud was just too much bigger and too much stronger than she, and he held on to her with a vice grip, her wrists pinned on either side of her head, her legs squeezed together by his knees.

Finally, she collapsed in exhaustion, a long, heavy sigh escaping her lips, ending in a broken sob. "It's not f-fair!" she wailed at his face.

His eyes widened as he watched her start to cry again, angry tears leaking from her eyes, spilling down her temples into her damp hair that rested against the dusty floor. Her eyes squeezed shut, her brows furrowing together tightly, her teeth latched onto her bottom lip, abusing it with a firm grip in a futile attempt to contain the sobs that were wracking her lean form. He had never been so scared for her in his life, even when that tower had almost fallen on her when she was fighting the Bahamut. He had merely scooped her up on his Fenrir and everything had been okay, but he didn't know how to fix this, didn't know what to do…She had never fallen apart like this in front of him.

When he was confident that she wouldn't lash out at him again, he released her wrists and slackened his grip on her knees. He sat back on his own knees, wrapping a strong arm around her shoulders and lifting her upper body off of the dirty floor, cradling it against his chest. "W-Why, Cloud…?" she sobbed out.

He held her tighter, rubbing circles on her back with his gloved hands, not even sure if he was doing it right or if she could even feel it through the two layers of leather. "Why what, Tifa? What is it?" he gasped out, extremely concerned at this point.

Her breathing was heavy and her tears were still flowing, soaking into his chest, "For years…years I have been there by your side, but all you ever cared about was Aerith, and her broken memory! There were times during your battle with the remnants that I saw glimmers of hope in the times that you were there to save me…but what happened? Why didn't you ever care how I felt or how much you were hurting me every single time you walked out of that door? Over and over again, I allowed myself to get closer to you, even though you hated yourself. Every fucking time you leave I just want to run after you, to force you to stay, to make you see that you don't have to run. But every time you go…you choose to come here when you know that you have a family and home waiting for you back there! You even promised Marlene that you weren't going to leave anymore, but I guess that only lasted as long as the family did…right? Explain that to me, Cloud, because I really don't understand it…"

He tensed around her, stunned by her unexpected words. "I-" Cloud began, scrambling for something to say that would make any sense at all.

She sighed deeply, her eyes closing once more, her body limp against his chest, "I want to hear the truth. I want to know why you can't just include me in your life. I want to know why it's so hard for you to answer your phone when I call to make sure you are at least still breathing…"

He closed his eyes now, his mind drawing a huge blank. Why did he leave? Why did he act like she didn't exist? Hadn't she been there for him? Hadn't she tried her hardest to help him through everything? Hadn't he left to join SOLDIER in order to impress her? Why was he unable to return the favor?

She felt him tense considerably, his grip slackening a bit. She used that opening to pull away from him and meet his eyes, those lost, empty eyes. She wanted the light in those mako orbs to return, the small smirk to grace his features once again, the tension in his shoulders to disappear, and the glow in his freckled skin to return…and she wanted it to be for her this time; not the fallen flower girl that stole his dreams and caused him to walk down a path in life that had no end but heartbreak and loneliness.

Looking into those hollow eyes, she felt her tears fall faster, not bothering to stop them this time. It broke her heart to see how lost and afraid he really was, no matter how he denied it. Why couldn't she be the one to take his pain away, to glue his heart back together? Well, the truth was that she would never know if she never took the chance.

Without another thought, allowing her body to move on its own, she reached her hands up and clenched the front of his sweater, flipping him onto his back and taking his previous position straddling his thighs, watching him visibly wince in expectation of a punch or slap or some other form of injury. When it didn't come he let out a small sigh of relief that quickly turned into a gasp of shock as he felt her cold, wet lips collide with his own hot, slightly chapped ones.

She crashed her mouth to his, pushing her body against his own tense one, fisting her hands in his sweater, praying that he wouldn't shove her away. She was pleasantly surprised when he didn't, though she wasn't positive if it was because he wanted it or if he was just too shocked to react. The kiss carried on, tense, unmoving, and desperate for seconds more before she released his shirt, allowing herself to collapse against his chest, her face buried in her hands as new tears sprung to her bloodshot eyes.

As he lay there frozen, staring at the fragile woman above him, and he couldn't breath. Her skin had felt like soft petals against his face, her lips like cold porcelain against his own. Through the soggy wet scent of her now drenched body, he could catch the scent of her vanilla soap and lavender shampoo hiding beneath the dampness. Her hands were so small compared to his own as he watched them clutch her face, hiding the onslaught of tears from his view.

He didn't know what to think, how to react, what to say. Was there even anything that he could say to that? His mind was racing, his heart pounding, eyes blazing. His head was so confused, grappling for something to cling to in understanding of this outrageous situation…but his body…Gods, he was flaming all over, his skin was on fire, his lips trembling, a flush covering his cheeks and shoulders. What was happening to him? He had never felt this before… "T-Tifa…?"

Her body stilled, her hands slowly slipping away from her face as she lifted her head to look at him, revealing wide red eyes and a wet face. He saw in her eyes shame, fear, and longing…three emotions he had never seen in them simultaneously. "W-What was that…?" he whispered in shock.

She stuttered as her eyes widened in full realization of what she had allowed herself to do to him, her face quickly reddening in shame and embarrassment. "I-I'm so sorry…I l-lost control!"

She made to get up, ready to dart out of the church and escape from the now horribly tense situation. There was no way that she could face him now, for the deed had been done and she had pretty much confessed all of her feelings and frustrations to him. But she knew in her heart that there was nowhere to escape to. She couldn't just leave the bar just because she and Cloud couldn't' look each other in the eyes anymore…

As she attempted to thrust her now thoroughly weakened body into the air to run away from the scene, Cloud's hands stopped her, gripping her elbows tightly enough to still her movements. As she turned her shocked face to meet his own perturbed one, she felt herself falling to the side as Cloud rolled them back over, trapping her beneath him once more. Her now wide, blood-shot, orbs locked onto his currently flashing sapphire ones. He was so flustered that she was afraid he would hit her, though she instantly felt stupid for thinking that Cloud would ever lift a hand to hurt her.

She was so busy mentally chastising herself that she didn't notice his expression fluctuate from shocked, to confused, to curious. By the time she focused her mind back on the wild-haired man above her, he was tilting his head slightly, observing her with interest. She frowned deeply, "C-Cloud…?"

She watched as he fumbled around in his mind; for a moment he would frown slightly, then he would cock his left eyebrow subtly, then nibble his lower lip, lastly blinking a few times before lowering his face to her own, hovering half an inch over her parted lips. She drew in a sharp breath as he lightly and nervously fit his lips back onto hers, carefully closing his mouth over her own gasping one, pressing gently against the soft petals, much more tenderly than the kiss she had initiated.

A new feeling took over as a rare heat flooded his body, and he growled before opening his mouth slightly, closing it back over Tifa's lips. She suddenly became aware of the gravity of the moment and instantly became more involved in the kiss, pressing against his hot lips and giving a quiet involuntary moan. She felt his right hand slide down her wrist that he had pinned once more and come to rest on her cheek, his gloved thumb gently drawing circles on her clammy skin. Her own hands found purchase once more at the front of his sweater, fisting the woolen fabric tightly as shivers coursed through her body.

After a few moments of tender bliss, she felt his body shudder, his hand sliding from her cheek to the back of her head, leather-clad fingers threading in her hair before pulling her face more firmly against his, his tongue forcing its way into her mouth with a low moan. She nearly died at the glorious sensation of the wet muscle stroking against her own in shy awkwardness. The kiss had suddenly become demanding in a way that thrilled her to no end. Cloud sure hadn't disappointed…

He moved his kisses down to her neck making Tifa silently gasp for air. Her heart was in spasms, her mind frazzled, her body heating up quickly despite the cold water that laced her damp form. Her fingers subconsciously began to fiddle with the buckles on his armor, loosening the leather straps efficiently, allowing them to fall to the floor beside them.

Even through his lust, Cloud stiffened slightly, unsure of what was supposed to happen next, his inexperience showing. He attempted to voice his concerns only to have Tifa silence him with her mouth very demandingly, determined not to lose this moment. She raked her hands down his biceps, leaving faint red trails with her blunt nails which had cut into her palms only an hour earlier. He hissed into her groaning mouth at the rough gesture, fisting his hand in her hair and bracing himself on the ground with the other, all protests abandoned and forgotten.

She broke the kiss for a moment, gazing at his now tousled appearance: hazy eyes, flushed cheeks, swollen lips…She watched as he quickly removed both of his gloves, revealing pale, soft skin and long, lithe fingers. He brushed his hot fingertips over her lips, ghosting across the swollen petals with deep concentration.

She had to have more, and she hoped he wouldn't deny her. Testing her boundaries, she yanked his sweater out of his pants, easing her cool hands up the front, and sliding them over the taut muscles beneath, feeling them ripple at the sensation. He opened his lips letting out a small gasp, squeezing his eyes shut to calm himself. It was such an adorable, yet erotic sight at the same time, and she wanted to see more. Grasping the hem of the woolen fabric and tugging lightly, she was surprised when he obliged her, lifting his hands over his head as she pulled it off and tossed it away. _Could he want it just as much as I do_…?

Deciding that she was thinking way too much, she shut her mind up and concentrated on feeling everything, wanting to imprint this night in her mind forever. Running her hands over the contours of his chest she was caught off guard when she felt his fingers playing at her zipper, sliding it down and parting her leather vest. She allowed him to pull her to a sitting position and push it off of her shoulders, tugging up on her tank top. Thrilled to obey, she lifted her arms up as he slid the fabric off of her body slowly, taking in the sight of her half-naked form with shy eyes and a pink blush spread across his cheeks. He looked like the teenage boy from Nibelheim so many years ago and it sent a thrilling chill through her to know that she could have this effect on him.

His right hand tentatively lifted and ran its fingertips over her left breast, evoking a shudder from her, encouraging him on. He grasped it firmly, yet gently, rolling the hardened bud curiously around with his thumb, excited by the reaction it had on the now moaning Tifa. He lowered his hands to her waist, pulling her forward slightly so he could place his mouth shyly against that same spot, licking nervously at the now painfully tight pearl, causing her to shiver jerkily. The sensation was heaven, Cloud's hot mouth doing wicked things to her chest, pushing her back down to the floor. That's when she snapped…

She grabbed his hips, yanking them forward and grinding herself against his now hardening member, pulling a deep moan from his throat. The next moments were feverish, ravenous, and heated as she yanked his pants down to his ankles, capturing his boxer-briefs with them. Taking in the sight of his swelling manhood, she reached down, sliding her fingers up the now erect member watching as his eyes squeezed shut and a whimper escaped his mouth as she took him in her hand, massaging him gently for a few moments before releasing him and turning her chin back up to capture his mouth.

She felt his hands at the waistband of her skirt, hooking around it and sliding the garment off quickly, his left hand grabbing the backs of her tight thighs through her cargo shorts. She groaned in frustration and impatience at the presence of the irritating clothing, reaching her own hands down to unhook the buckle and slide the offending pair of shorts and underwear off and kicking them away forcefully. She spread her legs to him, sliding her still converse-encased feet to hook behind his knees, pulling him closer to her and preventing him from escaping, should he have any second thoughts; not that he could run away with his pants twisted around his ankles trapped by his still boot-clad feet.

His blush grew deeper as he watched her grab onto his erection, positioning it at her heated entrance. He put a hand on her cheek, stilling her movements, "Why, Tifa…?"

She smiled softly, her panting words filling the air, joining with the thunder and the rain leaking through the roof of the church, "Because tonight, even if you never want this again, we are going to forget those memories…"

His mako-imbued orbs grew wide as she closed her eyes and pushed herself slowly onto him, pulling his hips forward with her calves, her mouth letting out a sigh of relief as she settled down on his hips, sheathing him completely. He grunted at the sheer force of the sensation that assaulted him; it was unlike anything he could have ever expected. "T-Tifa!" he whispered through ragged breaths.

She never spoke, only began to rock her hips slowly, creating a solid rhythm that drove him wild, building a pressure inside of him that he had forgotten he could feel. His breathing began to quicken as he slowly realized that he was losing what little restraint he could hope to have over this situation. Then, she leaned upward, nipping at his bare shoulder, flushed with splotches of pink from his rising body temperature. That did it for him as his brain shut down and his body took over as well. He jerked under the touch, shoving her even further into the hard, wooden planks of the church floor, still fully sheathed in her. He met her eyes, flashing wildly with passion as he gripped her left hip with his right hand and braced himself with his left, slamming in and out of her with reckless abandon, his lust taking over for his lack of experience.

She thrashed madly on the floor beneath him, her body wracked with overwhelming waves of pleasure, blinding white lights behind her eyes. There was something so taboo, so forbidden, and so sacrilegious about indulging in this sinful act on the dusty, weathered floor of a church, especially the church that served as a memorial to their fallen comrades. Tifa couldn't help but feel even more aroused and excited at this new aspect.

She buried her hands in his silky hair bringing his face to hers in a hungry kiss, nipping and sucking at his lips as he continued to thrust deeply within her. He wrapped his right arm around her waist, pulling her hips up off of the harsh wood to change the angle, slamming into her sweet spot over and over again, and a keening wail escaping her throat. Sweat was beginning to gather on his forehead and collar bone as he leaned forward, suckling at her neck for purchase as his end grew closer and closer with each thrust, the tight, white heat so near.

"Oh, Gods, I love you..." He whispered the admission softly through his heavy breathing and hungry kisses up her neck.

Tifa's eyes popped open in shock, her heart stopping for a moment, "S-Say it again," she whispered back since she had wanted him to say that for so long that it all seemed surreal.

Cloud looked at Tifa, locking onto her hazel eyes with a renewed passion that she had never seen in his orbs before, "I love you."

She looked at him with a dangerous want in her eyes, gasping for breath as he pummeled into her, quickly approaching his release. She clutched Cloud's arms and writhed beneath him trying to move with the unbreakable rhythm. Cloud's SOLDIER build made him hard to keep up with and Tifa was quickly overwhelmed with cries and moans that came from deep within a part of herself she never knew she had. The concern, the uncertainty had all melted away in Cloud's hot embrace, each kiss pulling her deeper and deeper into sweet oblivion. She tried to lock her legs around the spiky-haired man's hips, desperately looking to anchor herself as she gasped for breath between kisses. She felt dizzy and lost in the whirlwind of sensations that followed.

Suddenly, Cloud's body jerked upward as he tucked his chin to his chest, letting out a low, whimpering moan at his release. She could feel the liquid heat spreading within her, fueling her on as her own walls clamped tightly around him, milking him as he thrust into her a few more times before collapsing on top of her, his elbows taking his weight so she didn't have to; his forehead resting on her sternum between her heaving breasts.

It took a long time before they caught there breath enough to look at each other, and when they did, all they could do was stare into each other's eyes, panting steadily, and unblinkingly in awe at what had just happened. Neither knew what to say, but it didn't really matter. What mattered was that the void had been filled, the emptiness had disappeared, and the longing had been replaced with a feeling of completion. Even if Cloud said that he regretted their actions, Tifa didn't care, because she had his love, his heart, his body, and his promise…this was one thing that she wouldn't mind doing over and over again…


	8. I Should Tell You

**Disclaimer**: Clearly I do not own any of the FFVII characters, locations, spells, weapons, or anything else in Gaia that is clearly not mine. They belong to Square Enix. I have made a few tweaks to the canon, but nothing major. This one-shot is inspired by the Date Scene between Tifa and Cloud in the FFVII game. The quotes, themes, and characters belong to Square Enix. So please do not attempt to report me for plagiarism. I will laugh at you.

**Warning**: This one-shot is rated a strong T for mild sexual situations, language and angst. Sorry, no lemon in this one. Thoughts are in _italics_.

**Timeline and Location**: Takes place at the Gold Saucer during FFVII the game.

**Special** **Thanks**: This is a request sent to me by a fellow writer _**Kisdota-The Freak Gamer **_in which they asked for a Gold Saucer retake. Thanks and I hope you like it! :)

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~*_**I Should Tell You**_*~

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The night was a warm one, the hot breeze fluttering through the open window that the twenty-one year old ex-SOLDIER stood in front of, gazing out at the bright lights of the town of North Corel below. He sighed as he heard the chattering and merriment beneath the inn window, the sounds of laughter, shrieks of glee, and musical ballads from live bands in the festival wafting up to caress his ears, implanting a sense of longing for simpler times in the heart of the warrior. He closed his eyes, taking in the atmosphere, silently wishing he could be a part of it, but knowing that it wouldn't be the same as when he was a child and the fair would come to Nibelheim. Things were just too different now…he wasn't a kid anymore. None of them were…

The room they had purchased for the few days was quite large, housing three beds, a dining area, wardrobe, and a full sized window. It was a clean, quaint, and comfortable setup for the three travelers. Their four other friends were in the room directly to their right.

There was a resonating knock at the door, startling Cloud out of his thoughts, before the brass knob turned, the door opening to reveal a very familiar face. "Cloud…" came the soft voice of the slender girl, clad in the white tank top, black skirt, and red boots, having abandoned her battle gloves and suspenders in favor of a more casual and comfortable ensemble.

Her voice sounded almost afraid, so timid and shy as she made her way slowly to him; her hands clasped behind her back shyly, her teeth favoring her bottom lip as she awaited his reply. He watched with curiosity as she came to stand at the foot of one of the three beds in the room, her fingers playing with the knob on the left bedpost. He walked over to meet her, his heavy boots thumping against the floor in a rhythmic fashion before stopping about a foot in front of the nervously twisting girl, a little less than two years younger than he. He tilted his head slightly, "What's wrong, Tifa?"

The silence was thick as she blinked a few times, chewing on her bottom lip and running her fingers through her now loose hair, the dolphin tail absent for the night. He frowned slightly at the rather uncharacteristic behaviors from the young woman in front of him. She seemed so uptight, so nervous; Tifa was never anything but outgoing, confident, and altogether charismatic.

Finally, she spoke, though her words were slightly jumbled, but clear enough for Cloud to make out the meaning, "I-I thought about what I was going to say, but i-it's kinda embarrassing…"

Cloud quirked a brow at this, his curiosity peaked as she mumbled the line under her breath, fidgeting slightly as his eyes tried to catch hers. Finally, after a few moments of tense silence and uncomfortable shifting from the brunette, she sighed heavily and shook her head at her behavior. She looked up and smiled brightly at him, as if she had never been even slightly perturbed, "Hey, Cloud!?" she chirped, her dark eyes finally meeting his own sapphire ones.

He raised both of his eyebrows at this, but decided that it was best just to leave it alone and move forward, not wanting to make the discomfort return, grunting in reply. She closed the distance between them, slapping a hand none to gently onto his left shoulder, "Why don't the two of us sneak out of here and spend some time together?" she said in a coy fashion that let him know that she was up for some mischief.

He was silently taken aback by her rash proposition, but couldn't say that he completely disagreed with it. It had only been a few moments ago that he was longing for the freedom of youth and the fun of the festival. Still, part of him thought it unwise to be out frolicking about the night before they left. The turmoil must have shown on his face, because Tifa quickly smirked and ran behind him, planting her hands on his back and pushing him towards the doorway, "Come on, let's go!"

"Hey…" he attempted to protest, but knew almost instantly that there wasn't a lot that he was going to be able to do to change the hopeful wishes of the girl now shoving him down the hall, locking the door to the room that the two of them shared with Barret, and treading quietly to not wake any of the other travelers in the room beside them.

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Upon exiting the inn, a rush of warm Corel air embraced the two warriors, sliding gently through their hair and tickling their cool skin. Tifa continued to push Cloud forward as they approached the cable station that would take them to the Gold Saucer amusement park. After pitching the booth owner a few gil, Tifa shoved Cloud into the cable car and shut the door behind them as the gondola lifted onto the thick wire that brought them on their silent journey to the park.

Cloud was his usual quiet self the entire way, though Tifa didn't appear to mind as she spent most of her time looking out the window at the night sky or fiddling with the loose threads on her tank top that tickled at her bare midriff. Cloud couldn't help but watch in silent amusement as she began to act nervous again_. What the hell has gotten into her_…?

Upon exiting the cable car, he watched as the young woman's mood fluctuated once more. Tifa smile as they entered the Station, the many colors of the rainbow surrounding them in bright light and a harsh, but rejuvenating glow. Jumping through the funhouse-style hatch into the main room, the two were greeted with the sight of several other hatches, each surrounded with a spectrum of colors and a unique sign distinguishing the location that it led to.

They also came the acquaintance of a young man that appeared to be some sort of guide. He wore a red and black striped suit, had short, sandy blonde hair and rosy cheeks kissed with dimples. He smiled brightly at them and announced, as if he was just as excited as the first time he uttered the line, "Welcome to the Station! Tonight's Enchantment Night! All attractions are free."

This made Tifa smile even wider and Cloud watched as she clapped her hands together and turned to him, "What luck! See, aren't you glad I decided to drag you here?"

Cloud quirked his brow yet again, but allowed himself to relax slightly at the prospect of possible distractions from the hectic turmoil of the ridiculous mess that they called life at the moment. Then the man in the red and black began to speak again, "How 'bout it, you two? There's going to be an entertaining show in Evening Square! You shouldn't miss it."

Tifa's eyes lit up at the offer as she turned to Cloud once again and clasped her hands in front of her face, excitedly, "C'mon, Cloud! Let's go."

Sighing softly in resignation and running a gloved hand through his hair, Cloud nodded shortly and watched as Tifa's huge smile returned and she grabbed his arm, pulling him towards the hatch that bore the title 'EVENT SQUARE.' As they entered the short tunnel, Cloud could here her ragged breathing, heavy with excitement and youthful glee. He almost felt like smiling himself, for Tifa was never this happy around him. He hadn't seen this side of her in a very long time, over seven years to be exact and, quite frankly, it was infectious.

His thoughts were interrupted once again as they entered the huge coliseum style theatre. It wasn't very full, only ten or fifteen patrons seated on the ground level benches; seeing that it was around midnight, but the room was definitely breathtaking. As they cleared the archway, they were stopped by the ticket master at the box office, a hand extended to the two, "Congratulations!! You are our 100th couple today!! You will be the leads in tonight's show!!!!"

Cloud raised both of his eyebrows for the second time that night, reaching a hand up to rub the back of his neck nervously, "What…?" he asked incredulously.

The ticket master dressed in blue and violet sensed his apprehension, waving a hand around in protest, "Oh, now, it's not hard. Just play it however you want to and the rest of the cast will cover for you…now if you'll follow me."

Cloud did not appear convinced, but Tifa bounced for a moment, grabbing onto Cloud's shoulder and tugging him forward to follow the jolly man that was to lead them to their positions. "H-Hey!" he started, a vain attempt to voice to Tifa that he didn't really want to be a part of this.

Tifa would hear nothing of it and merely closed the distance between her and Cloud by placing both of her hands in his own slack and surprised ones, "It sounds like fun. Come on, Cloud, let's give it a try."

At those words, she pulled him after the ticket master, bubbling with excitement and the prospect of trying something new. Cloud just grunted his disapproval before following the dark-haired beauty, "Fine…" he muttered as he watched her back in front of him, her long, loose hair flowing behind her elegantly.

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The small space backstage was hot, stuffy, and cramped with actors, props, and set pieces for the imminent play. Cloud could smell the think scent of dust, sweat, and wood polish as the music began to play.

Then, the narrator, a young blonde girl no more than fifteen years of age, began to set the story for the 'hopefully' short performance. "Long, long ago…an evil shadow appeared over the peaceful kingdom of Galdia…Princess Rosa was just kidnapped by the Evil Dragon King, Valvados. What will become of her?"

Cloud felt a tap on his shoulder, turning to glance at the man playing the Evil Dragon King, "Hey, you're next…" he whispered harshly.

The narrator continued her story, "Just then, the legendary hero, Alfred, appears!!"

Cloud frowned deeply as he was pushed onstage. _Alfred…of all the names_…

From across the room a man dressed in full armor of a knight twirled onto the stage, pointing his finger in Cloud's now annoyed face, "Oh…you must be the legendary hero…Alfred!"

Cloud stood there as the silence sunk in, shaking his head slightly, and sighing as he watched the perturbed look on the armored man's face. The man fidgeted in front of him, "Hey…it's your line!" he whispered harshly.

Cloud raised an eyebrow and lifted his hand, thrusting a thumb into his own chest, "Me…?"

The costumed man rolled his eyes and sighed deeply, "Yeah…you."

Cloud's eyes widened slightly as he cleared his throat, swearing that he heard Tifa's giggling backstage. He made a mental note to punish her for this later as he turned to face the man in silver armor. The man repeated his line and continued it with, "I know in my soul. Please…please save Princess Rosa!" he said, kneeling before Cloud and raising his hands in a begging gesture, "Now…please talk…to the King…!!"

Suddenly, a large middle-aged man twirled onstage, clad in a blue velvet costume robe and a golden crown, "Oh…legendary hero, Alfred. You have come to save my beloved Rosa…"

Cloud nearly rolled his eyes again, wondering why a king that loved his daughter so much wouldn't risk life and limb to go out to find and rescue her himself. _ Geeze, I would never hire someone to go save my loved ones_…

The King continued, "On the peak of a dangerous mountain…dwells the Evil Dragon King, Valvados…who's kidnapped Princess Rosa."

_Typical_…thought Cloud as he crossed his arms over his chest, not really feeling to into the show and not really caring if he was disappointing the audience either, "But…you can't beat the Evil Dragon King now! Talk to the one who can help you…"

Cloud really did roll his eyes this time, wondering just why he had let Tifa drag him into all of this nonsense. Where the hell was she anyway…

Then a new character found its way onto the stage, one dressed in a green witches outfit with a pointy hat to boot. Cloud trudged over to the new arrival, crossing his arms back over his chest, "I am the greatest wizard, Vorman. What do you wish to know?"

_What the hell is with these names_…? Thought Cloud as he replied, "How about the Evil Dragon King's weakness?" very tempted to say something smartass like 'what are the Princess' measurements?" or something equally random.

The wizard smiled and spun around, "Ahh, the weakness of the Evil Dragon King. It must be, it must be…"

Cloud watched in irritation as the wizard spun around a few more times before settling in an awkward looking pose, "Yes, it must be…True Love!"

Cloud really rolled his eyes and sighed heavily, almost growling at the clichéd answer as the Wizard continued, "The power of love…is the only weapon that can withstand the fangs of the Evil Dragon King…!"

Cloud resisted the urge to slap a hand to his forehead at the terrible plot that was unfolding as the narrator spoke up once more, "Oh, what is going to happen next…! Oh…legendary hero…look!"

Cloud panned his vision to stage right, just as a huge green dragon flew in on the fly rail, grasping none other than Tifa in his arms, growling in response," I am the Evil Dragon King…Valvados! I have not harmed the Princess…I have been expecting you!"

Cloud watched as it dropped Tifa flat on her butt on the floor, amused as he witnessed her rubbing her now sore tailbone. _That's what you get for pulling us into this_… He nearly laughed as the now cranky Tifa half-heartedly responded, "Please help me…legendary hero!" before turning to the dragon.

"Like that…?" she whispered loudly.

The Evil Dragon ignored her, "Gaaaah! Here I come, legendary hero, Alfred! I already know your name!"

Then it charged at Cloud, claws at the ready and teeth born in a menacing display. Cloud merely sidestepped and watched as the Evil Dragon King skidded to a halt and the Wizard spoke once more, "And now…legendary hero! Here is what will happen…to your beloved…"

Cloud watched in boredom as the Wizard danced around and opened his arms to the sky, "A kiss! The power of True Love!!!"

Cloud's eyes widened at this, his shoulders tensing slightly. _A kiss…why is it always a kiss? _Rather perturbed, Cloud approached the brunette that was currently still a heap on the floor where the dragon had dropped her; her own cheeks were a deep shade of pink. He reached his hand down, helping her to her feet as their eyes met, Tifa's now laughing with amusement. She half expected him to chicken out and grab her, running from the stage. But she was shocked as Cloud knelt before her, apparently deciding to embrace his role for a few moments, taking her hand in his and lightly lifting it to brush a soft kiss over her bare knuckles.

She gasped slightly at the affectionate display, "Cloud…I mean, Alfred…" she stuttered, trying to compose herself after the electric shock of his hot lips feather soft against the back of her hand.

Their thoughts were interrupted, the moment shattered, as the sound of the wails from the Evil Dragon King filled the stage, "Arrggaahh!! Curses…the powers of…LOVE!"

And with that, the dragon was flown off of the stage with lingering screams and moans of agony. The voice of the gleeful King filled the air, "Oh…look! Love has…triumphed!! Now let's all return… and celebrate!!!"

Tifa grabbed Cloud's hand and dragged him from the stage, not bothering to wait for the curtain call, anxious to leave the now filling theatre. As she grasped onto the elbow of ex-SOLDIER she drug behind her, she could hear the voice of the narrator fading into the distance, "Oh, how profound the power of love…and so the legendary hero Alfred and our story live on happily ever after!"

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As they reentered the bright Station, the guide now having disappeared, Tifa was suddenly overcome by a new nervousness, "Well…that was funny."

She shuffled around on her feet for a moment as Cloud ran a leather-clad hand through his hair, watching her fall back into her mood, "Hey!" she interrupted his musings, "Let's go on the Gondola back to the inn. I don't feel like using that ugly cable car. C'mon!"

She grabbed his arm once more and pulled him through the appropriate hatch, leading him down to the ticket booth for the Gondola, which really looked like a small house attached to a cable. As they walked to the barricade, the ticket master, clad also in red and black, motioned to Tifa, "Two, please," she replied.

The man handed her two pieces of paper, "Here you are, two tickets," before lifting the bar and helping them into the Gondola, "Enjoy the sights of Gold Saucer!"

As the entered the Gondola, equipped with bench seats and a large window on either side, Tifa took her seat across from Cloud, and held on as the Gondola shifted, lifting into the air with a jolt. Cloud sat with his arms crossed, his back against the wall behind him, gazing out of the window at the bright lights below. Every now and then, he would glance at Tifa, to watch her eyes light up a the sights of the amusement park, the gold lights reflecting in her chocolate colored orbs. "Oh, how pretty…" she whispered to herself.

Cloud couldn't help but smirk secretively to himself at the youthful way in which the twenty-year-old young woman viewed the scenario. It was as if she was eight years old again. He leaned over to take a look out the window himself, wondering if maybe there was some spell cast on the world beneath them. The lights danced off of the Ferris wheel and roller coasters below, spotlights shining in several directions to advertise the 24-hour amusement park to the land around them. As the Gondola gracefully ascended and descended around the many attractions, the wind blew delicately through their hair once more, whipping it gently across their faces, curtaining Tifa's shoulders in a dark blanket. She jumped slightly, blushing pink when she realized that their knees were touching from the effort to look out the window.

The ride ascended to a great height, the moon framed by the wooden outline of the window. Tifa smiled brightly, "Look, Cloud…" she said pointing down at the racetrack below.

Cloud followed her eyes down to the lanes of yellow, green, blue, and red chocobos that galloped along the lighted tracks, feeling his heart swell at the memories. He had always had a soft spot for the fuzzy oversized chickens. Leaning back in his seat, he continued to watch the young woman before him with growing interest.

She smiled delicately, her eyes wide with amusement, her pale, bare hands grasping the windowsill in excitement as she sat, perched on the edge of her bench, nearly hanging her head out of the window, her naked right knee coming to rest between both of his own, rubbing against the rough fabric of his SOLDIER trousers. "Oh, Cloud…" she whispered, her eyes never leaving the scenes below, though her voice reaching out to pull him into the moment with her, desperate to share some happiness with the hardened war hero.

Suddenly, her eyes lit up even more, her mouth dropping in a surprised gasp as her head raised at the sounds of the popping and cracking outside. Cloud darted his eyes to the night as well just as the many rainbows of fireworks filled the navy blue sky with color, decorating the darkness with the art of happiness. Tifa's eyes widened and she stared out into the night, taking in the majesty of the simple treat that crashed around them in a loud symphony to their Gondola ride. Just when one shower of color died, another was born to take its place, a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth that intrigued even the chocobo-haired man in the wooden Gondola.

Tifa leaned back in her seat, sighing as she continued to watch the colors coalesce in the sky around them, "It's really pretty, isn't it?"

She watched Cloud lean back into his seat, his eyes closing as he took in the sounds of the popping and the scent of the smoke from the burning powders. She brought her legs up to sit 'Indian-style' on the bench seat, her eyes burning into the dozing man before her. She lifted a hand to tuck some hair behind her left ear, her other hand trembling against her knee, "Ok…I'm just going to go ahead and say it…"

She watched as Cloud's cerulean eyes peeled open and met her own brandy colored ones in curiosity. She wrapped her arms around herself, grasping her elbows in an attempt to control her trembling.

"What…?" was the sound that drifted her way, the tone of concern evident in the blonde's voice even as he sat there completely unabashed.

Tifa continued, hearing herself babbling about things that were totally irrelevant, "Aerith would be able to just come out and say it…probably."

Cloud was very confused now, his brows furrowing in a perturbed expression, his eyes locking onto her frightened ones. _What does the emerald-eyed flower girl have to do with this? Did something happen_? The fireworks continued around them as Tifa's breathing became ragged once again with nerves and excitement, "Cloud…?"

His eyes, filled with confusion, reverted to the hard floor beneath them, afraid that he would become nervous if he looked into hers for a moment more. He became even more confused as he listened to her words, almost as if they were a confession, "Sometimes being old friends is hard…I mean, timing is everything."

Cloud lifted his eyes to meet hers once more, searching for an answer in them, an answer that might let him know what she was thinking, feeling. "Yeah…" he agreed softly.

There was a moment of heavy silence, her face unreadable save for the frightened look in her eyes and the way she favored her bottom lip as she had done earlier, "Cloud…?" she whispered very softly, the sound of the fireworks nearly overpowering her voice.

He heard her take a deep breath, steeling herself; for what, he did not know. Her eyes slid shut as she clenched her hands around her knees, her shoulders sinking low, "I…" she began, fading out as her confidence left her.

He waited a few moments to see if she would continue, surprised when all he was met with was silence. Suddenly, the Gondola shifted and dropped as it slid back into the station. He could nearly feel Tifa's growing disappointment as it emanated from her like a strong scent. Cloud exited first, watching as Tifa exited after him, her gleeful mood now gone and replaced by a melancholy that was unfamiliar to him, even from her. As they exited the platform, Tifa's voice returned, "Cloud, I-I really had fun tonight."

He turned to face her; her face was still laced with sadness, though a small smile now lingering on her lips. He met her eyes, nodding in agreement, "By the way…what did you want to say a minute ago…?"

Her face immediately fell, her eyes widening, her lips descending, her hands clasping behind her back shyly, "N-Nothing!" she replied sharply, too sharply for Cloud to believe it, "Nothing…" she faded out, a sadness present in her voice that shook Cloud at his core, sending a shiver through him.

He looked at her questioningly, an eyebrow quirked to let her know he wasn't convinced. She merely ran a hand through her hair, smiling sadly, before quickly changing the subject, "Oh, look at the time. It's nearly 1:30am. We should be getting back…"

Cloud glanced at her once more, hoping that she would say what was on her mind, because he was never very good at prying into other people's private thoughts and she was never any good at lying to him. When she didn't speak, he merely nodded, turning over his shoulder and heading back to the inn. He heard her pause for a moment before her footsteps picked up behind him.

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It was probably close to 4am, and the room was dark, save for the lights that still peaked into the room from the festival below, bouncing off of the walls and dancing across the two sleeping faces in their beds. The third wasn't even under her sheets, but rather sitting at the window, perched on the sill, the warm night air blowing gently across her skin, giving her the gentle contact that she couldn't get anywhere else. She closed her eyes and took in the scent of the night blooming jasmine mixed with the musky, greasy smells of the carnival below, still going full swing despite the early hour.

She shifted slightly, her bare feet resting gently along the bottom frame of the opening, her black spandex shorts and white sports bra clinging to her body, draped only with a light blanket across her legs. She sighed as she felt the breeze again, slightly cooler this time, but not enough to evoke a shiver. No, the shiver was for another reason, entirely unrelated. Her mind kept drifting back and forth between the soft kiss Cloud had planted on her hand on the crowded stage and the confessional blunder she had managed in the Gondola on the way back to the inn.

She growled softly to herself, rather irritated with the fact that she couldn't just say what she needed to say, what she had been feeling for nearly the last seven years. It was true, she had never had a boyfriend, a date, or a kiss…she had never held hands with a boy, or cuddled with one and watched the sunrise. She had never even watched fireworks with one until tonight…

She sighed deeply as she realized for the hundredth time that she had purposely saved all of these things for one person; a very special person in her heart, but also someone that she had no idea if he even slightly returned her feelings. Loving him was a gamble, a risk, and a toss of the die that she had decided was a risk worth taking when she had turned down several offers from very attractive gentlemen on more than one occasion.

That man, that shy angel that she loved with all of her heart, that she wanted to keep with her always, that she wanted to give the world to, and that had promised to protect her no matter what…was sleeping no more than ten feet away from her current position, his light breathing nearly silent in the dark room.

She had watched him grow from the small, scrawny, doe-eyed mountain boy that worked in the stables to the taller, more developed, slate-eyed, teenage infantryman that helped save their hometown…into the strong, toned, mako-sapphire-eyed, stoic ex-SOLDIER that he was today. She knew that he had been through hell; they all had…

She was so caught up in her thoughts, her memories, and her reverie that she didn't notice the object of her internal discussion had risen from his mattress and glided silently over to where she now sat, staring out into the night. He moved lightly over to the shelf seat, coming to sit across from her, clad only in loose fitting black cotton pants, black socks, and a black form fitting, ribbed tank top. She jumped when she noticed him, clutching her chest over her pounding heart, "Gods, Cloud, you scared me."

He grunted an apology and lifted one knee, resting his right arm against it, staring out into the night, "Why are you still awake?"

She tensed slightly, shrugging her shoulders in a deceptive reply, "I don't know…just couldn't sleep, I guess…"

She listened as the silence thickened, her mind drifting back off to previous thoughts, only to be interrupted by the soft, yet commanding voice of the man across from her, his eyes closed against the breeze, "Liar. What's really bothering you?"

She was startled at his accusation, but couldn't very well continue to lie, having already been called out. She sighed deeply, resting her eyes on her bare feet in front of her, her loose hair pooling around her body like a shield, the bottom brushing against her thighs, tickling the pale flesh. She opened her mouth, fighting to not stutter from her uncertainty, "D-Do ever feel like you missed a really great opportunity to do something that you had been waiting forever to do? Like that moment was there, but then it slipped through your fingers…because you were too scared to grab back onto it and hold it there?"

She heard a soft chuckle across from her, her eyes widening at the familiar, though long forgotten sound; "Is this about what you wanted to say on the Gondola earlier?" came the amused reply.

She frowned slightly, curling her knees up to her chin, "Am I really that predictable, Cloud?"

He shook his head, "Nah, I'm just that perceptive," he replied, an almost cocky air to his voice.

She let out a hum in reply, the silence settling back over the two as the lights flickered over their faces, the sounds wafting up to them setting a reminiscent mood. She began to drift off into thoughts of anxiety when she felt an unexpected hand come to rest on her right knee. She jumped slightly from the surprise, her shocked eyes snapping to meet his amused ones. She heard him let out another light chuckle, as he moved his body to sit directly in front of her, his legs dangling out of the large stained glass window, opened to the night.

She sank back into the wall as the warmth of his surprisingly soft hand soaked into her cool skin causing a small shiver to run through her lithe body. She closed her eyes and sighed softly, imagining that more of him was touching her…

"Tifa?" came the soft voice of the man before her.

Her eyes snapped open as she cleared her mind of the ridiculous thoughts that she was allowing to enter her mind. "Yes, Cloud?"

"You remember back when we were kids? That day that we met on the water tower before I left for SOLDIER?"

She smiled softly at the memory, allowing the picture to form in her mind. Allowing a quiet giggle to escape her lips she replied, "Of course, Cloud. How could I forget?"

_That was the night I fell in love with you_…she thought to herself silently.

She gazed at him, peering at him through those thick, ebony lashes of hers. The silence thickened for a moment, as he appeared to be sorting through his thoughts. When he finally spoke, it threw her for a loop. His words confused her; "You know what…I don't need to say anything else about that. I think you should understand…"

Her eyes widened slightly, not sure how to handle this statement. _Does that mean I'm not worth his time? Does that mean he is second-guessing whatever he was going to say? What was he going to say?_ _What should I understand?_

She panicked, blinking a few times and frowning at him as he bowed his head and smirked softly. Her eyes blazed at him, a mixture of anger, hurt, and confusion resonating from her stare. Then he said something that made her freeze in complete surprise, "So, Tifa…assuming we all survive this war…" he cleared his throat, "what do you see yourself doing?"

She frowned deeper, messing with the blanket draped over her, "Well, I guess I'll just go back to Seventh Heaven and open it back up. It seemed to be a pretty efficient business."

She watched as he nodded slowly, blinking at the wind that tousled his spiky hair. She closed her eyes once more as she attempted to slow her heart that was now beating out of her chest in a mixture of embarrassment and frustration at his strange attitude. She sighed softly in irritation, bending forward to rest her head on her knees and hug her legs to her.

And the next thing she knew, she was back against the wall, bare shoulders pressed firmly to its cold surface by calloused hands as she felt Cloud towering over her, his knees planted firmly between her own, spreading them to allow himself near to her. His eyes were dark and shining at the same time, filled with a new emotion that she hadn't seen in them for years. "You should tell me what you were going to say earlier. It seemed pretty important…"

She met his eyes with both apprehension and excitement. She couldn't remember him ever being this close to her. She could feel rather than smell the hot scent of cinnamon on his breath and the sweet musk of the honeydew shampoo the inn provided. His long, sunny-colored spikes tickled her cheeks as he hung his head, awaiting her reply. Her mind was flying all over the place, her thoughts jumbled as she scrambled for something coherent to say. Anything but what she knew she needed to…

Just as she opened her mouth to speak, she felt his hand brush the blanket away from her lap, shuddering as it dragged across her skin and tumbled to pool on the grey carpet. She felt his warm, surprisingly soft hand slide onto her bare thigh, rubbing circles on the inside of her left knee, sending shivers up her spine. "So, what's it gonna be?"

Her eyes widened at the unexpected turn of events, her breath catching in her throat and her heart racing in her chest. Brown eyes flickered over to his sapphire orbs at those words and their eyes met, caught in a gaze that neither could seem to break. Pools of cool blues were filled with emotions clashing violently, the most dominant of them all, an uncertainty growing by the second. Tifa's own eyes were uncontrollably snarled with conflicting emotions in their auburn depths, "Cloud, I…"

Tifa closed her eyes, squeezing her lids tightly together, gritting her teeth, summoning up what little courage she could manage, "I…" she could feel her heart slamming against her chest, her body shaking with adrenaline and anticipation.

Within a heartbeat, Tifa found herself in strong arms, an unbearable warmth spreading rapidly through her entire being as though her body was being set on fire. Her breath was caught in her throat as she raised her head up slightly to catch a better look of the yellow-haired ex-SOLDIER. He pulled back slightly to meet her confused stare, that strong emotion so clearly swirling in his eyes; there was not a single doubt of her feelings for him.

She leaned her head forward, pressing her cheek against his own soft one, her arms wrapping around his back, fists balling in his tank top. She pressed her lips to the shell of his ear, her breath hot on his cool face. She could feel him shuddering slightly as she whispered softly, "Do I honestly need to spell it out for you, Cloud…?"

She could feel the grin against her neck growing, his warm breath tickling her shoulder, "Not really…I just wanted to hear you say it."

She pulled back suddenly, a look of shock upon her face as she gawked at his honesty. "Cloud Strife, I can't believe you! All this time you –"

She lost her sentence as she felt his warm hands grab the sides of her face and hot lips brush over her forehead, silencing her protests rather abruptly. She pulled back slightly, a shuddering breath escaping her as she gently brushed her lips over his soft chin, taking the final plunge and gliding them to rest against his searing mouth. It was a gentle, lingering touch of the lips – a hesitation on both parts as they touched, as if both were taking the time to memorize the feeling before they dove in for passion. Her heart leapt in her chest and she felt adrenaline explode through her body as she felt his lips slide harshly against her own. The kiss was rough, clumsy, and inexperienced…but it was beautiful. This was what she had waited so many years for, and she was nowhere near disappointed.

Tonight was definitely going to be a night that she would remember forever, regardless of what happened in their final battles. Whether the war ended in complete annihilation of the human race or peace on Gaia…she couldn't say that she had any regrets left to hold her back in the end.


	9. Looking For Angels

**Disclaimer**: Clearly I do not own any of the FFVII characters, locations, spells, weapons, or anything else in Gaia that is clearly not mine. They belong to Square Enix. I have made a few tweaks to the canon, but nothing major.

**Warning**: This one-shot is rated a strong T for mild adult situations, language, and angst. Sorry, no lemon in this one. Thoughts are in _italics_. Sorry it has taken so long to update, but I'm back!

**Timeline and Location**: Takes place at the bluff where Zack was gunned down by Shinra's infantry. Is set approximately a year after Dirge of Cerberus.

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~***Looking For Angels***~

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The air was cold; biting at her cheeks with a sharp fury that even the thick grey scarf she wore around her neck was fruitless in its assigned task. Her leather-gloved hands were hastily shoved into deep, warm, blue jean pockets in a quest to obtain the coveted heat. She sighed against the icy wind, her breath accumulating in a moist mist that fanned out in front of her face, giving the illusion that she was exhaling snow. The feather light flakes fell from the heavens, gathering in shallow lumps at her black boot-clad feet, sinking into the soggy earth below.

She did not know why she had come out here. It was below freezing, a blizzard was soon to blow in from the north, the darkness of dusk was approaching, and it was a long walk back home from this solemn spot. She shifted her weight back and forth from one foot to the other to keep her circulation pumping in all the right places, managing to keep her feet from going numb despite the dampness engulfing her toes from the melting snow against the arches of her feet. The hems of her dark blue jeans were long since soaked, and her deep crimson turtleneck sweater was barely holding the chill at bay. Her long, glossy hair blew about her face, thrashing in the frigid wind, gliding against her cheeks, barely contained by the black wool beanie that encased her head.

She could feel the burning sensation of the frozen air entering her mouth, sliding down her throat, stinging the sensitive tissue of her lungs before forcing its way back out again. She had left the bar a little over an hour ago and slowly made her way to this silent spot on the bluff, overlooking the ruins of Midgar. Now that she was finally here, she did not quite know what to do…

She stared down at the small patch of yellow and white flowers, captivated with the fact that they still had the strength and stamina to maintain their bloom, even in the dead of winter, snow falling all around them, framing them in white lace. She allowed a wry smile to drag across her pale face, stiff from exposure to the elements. She took a few more steps forward toward the patch of flowers, squatting down on the balls of her feet to get a closer look. She silently pulled a gloved hand from her pocket, pulling at the tips to remove the leather from her hands, shoving the coverings into her pant pocket. She tentatively and reverently reached her lithe fingers out to caress the closest flower, her fingertips dancing over the soft, buttery petals. She closed her eyes, breathing another lungful of the cold air.

Exhaling, she allowed her head to fall forward, nose pointing toward the ground below, "I miss you so much, Aerith. I hope you and Zack are doing well," she muttered, "Cloud and I are hanging in there…doing the best we can to hold it together; for ourselves and for the children."

She brushed her now numb fingers over the firm stem of a pure ivory flower, pulling it gently from the ground, careful not to take the root with it. Cupping the beautiful blossom in her hand, she lifted it to her face, burying her nose in the fresh cottony scent of it, "Sometimes on nights when I'm alone in the bar…I turn out all of the lights in my room and just stand outside on my balcony. I lean against the rail, closing my eyes, breathing in the air…Sometimes I can almost hear your voice whispering to me," she whispered lightly.

Suddenly, her voice became softer, and her face dropped slightly, "but I can never really understand what you're saying. I try so hard to decipher the jumble of sounds that I hear, but I can never manage to discern anything coherent or viable…"

She nuzzled the soft petals gently with her nose, soaking in as much of the scent as she could obtain before her senses would eventually go numb from the freeze. The temperature was steadily dropping, and a permanent shiver was beginning to permeate her flesh. She could feel the goose bumps growing on her arms and legs, the fine hairs on the back of her neck beginning to stand on end. The sun was descending slowly over the horizon, painting the sky a deep ginger mixed with watercolors of mauve and cobalt, the dark storm clouds gathering just beyond the city before her.

She could hear the wind whistling sharply around her, the rumbles of motors in the city, and the ambiance of the occasional birds that flew overhead. She clutched the delicate flower as gently as she could manage, now unable to feel its softness upon her fingers, for a painful numbness had set in, her joints now stiff and immobile.

But through the cold, the pain, and the memories, Tifa couldn't miss the heat that approached her, the warm body that crouched down beside her and glanced at the flower in her hands.

He never spoke, but merely dipped his left hand into her palms, scooping the flower from her grasp and taking it gently into his larger, leather-clad hand. He studied it for a moment before gently placing it back into the bed of blooming flowers, removing his gloves from his hands and shoving them haphazardly into the pockets of his worn, faded black jeans.

The wind blew roughly through his honey-colored hair, the gravity defying spikes ruffling sharply with the gust. His deep cerulean eyes hid behind heavy, porcelain lids as they sheltered his emotions from the stock-still woman beside him. He remained silent, not wanting to interrupt the rare quiet that hung over them, blanketing them in a heavy idleness that begged for something…but what, neither knew.

Tifa was the first to break the moment, reaching over and grasping Cloud's warm right hand, lacing her fingers with his own. She felt his body tense slightly at the unexpected contact, but only tightened her grip in the warmth that occupied her frozen digits. He never spoke, but she had never expected him to. He had always been a very private person, even when they were children. He always thought it best to take care of his issues in a very reclusive manner, reaching out for neither physical nor emotional support.

The hardest part, for both of them, had been learning what it meant to forgive, forget, and move forward. Even at that moment, in the snow, the ghosts of the past were showing them what it meant to still remain…to still exist.

Cloud stood slowly, pulling Tifa's body up with his, their hands fused together from the cold, and their bodies heavy with the biting chill and oppressive memory.

Tifa turned to face him, pulling his arm so that he might face her, his expression staring hazily into the distance. Her burgundy eyes took in the contours of his face, the light freckles that faded into the velvety ruddiness of his cheeks, dancing across his perfectly sculpted nose and forehead. She watched his eyes flick uncertainly to meet her own, those azure pools of rich emotion asking a hundred questions at once.

She could tell that he was still hurting – that it pained him every time he traveled up to this memorial – a pain that completely disregarded any cold, warmth, or squall. This pain was a permanent chill that echoed through the deepest corridors of his fiercely beating heart; a heart that had broken too many times to ever be the same as it had during his childhood.

Tifa couldn't ask anything more of him than to be the strong man that he had been. Even when he had run away, and even when he never knew what the right thing was to do, he still managed to pull through and always seemed to take the beating for everyone else. Sure, this had frustrated her to no end when he never answered his phone, or she wanted him to open up to her, only to be rewarded with a rigid hug or a few empty words of self-loathing. But she still loved him, and she still wanted to be there for him every step of the way, just as she had been doing as often as she could. Even when he didn't know how to accept it, or didn't feel that he deserved her companionship or hospitality, she refused to allow him to recede into some rut of self-destruction and solitude.

They were drenched from the snow and shivering slightly, but they would not move for fear of shattering the proximity. Neither whispered pointless words of consolation, cries of anguish, or sighs of frustration. They both knew that everything had been fixed, all the wrongs had been righted, and the homes and families rebuilt. But they both also realized that, as difficult as it was to redesign their lives, it would be oh, so simple for everything to fall apart once again. So they stood; hands entwined, silent, and still…breathing in this rare moment of peace, even if they might be screaming inside.

They held each other's gaze for several moments, until Tifa broke and bowed her head, dark hair shielding her face from view. She squeezed her eyes closed; she did not dare to look at him, because she was so afraid that she would see some emptiness that, she knew in her aching heart, she could not fill. But, beneath it all, she just did not want him to see how empty she, herself truly was.

She had faced death in many a battle, raised two children for nearly three years, and lost her entire family and childhood to a maniacal psychopath, but through all of that she was so afraid that she would never be able to save the man in front of her. She knew that there was nothing she could do to make him see his true value in this world; because this was not her battle to fight…it was his war with himself, his past, and his inner demons that would haunt him for the rest of his life.

She remembered all too well what it was like to live without him; the years he had been gone with SOLDIER, the months he had disappeared with Geo-stigma, and the days that he had vanished following the fight with the remnants, dealing with his broken past and trying to rid himself of the ghosts of it, only succeeding in drawing them perilously closer.

She gasped softly, her thoughts shattering abruptly when she felt his hand lift to tuck a rogue lock of her hair away from her face, her eyes flashing to his in confusion. Before she could read his expression, he moved forward and wrapped his arms around her waist, burying his face in her soft hair. Her bare fingers sunk into the soft material of his black turtleneck, her eyes widening in shock at his uncharacteristic display of affection.

This embrace was more for her than him, a reminder to her that he was not running away anymore, that he was there to stay. She was not ashamed to need him, but she was afraid of losing him. And somewhere in the back of her mind, she wondered if he returned the feeling…

"Tifa…?"

His voice was low and steady, flowing like liquid through her ears and sending shivers down her spine with the intensity in his tone. She lifted her head to look at him, their eyes dancing across each other's faces as the question hung in the air. Even though he was gone, he was there now, and he was _alive_.

She tightened her grip on him, her eyes dropping to where her bare hands were flattened against his lean, taut chest, hidden beneath black fabric. And she realized, for the first time that day, that, though still ungloved, they were warm.

This thought, while usually comforting, frightened her greatly and she clung tightly to his chest, snuggling her face into his neck and letting out a ragged breath, her body beginning to tremble with anxiety. She had always known that she was overly attached to this man – this broken and hollow man; but somehow she had never truly realized the gravity of that connection and how utterly lost she was without him there to stabilize her, even if he did not realize he was doing it.

In that moment, she panicked, "Cloud…?" she whispered sharply, her words heavy with anticipation and worry.

She heard a mumbled 'hmm' in reply, his thoughts obviously elsewhere.

Where they could have been frightened her, her mind racing with worry.

"Cloud…" she breathed against his throat, feeling her breath waft back to her, fogging over her chin and lips, as if to reassure her that she was indeed breathing with him.

"Please…stay."

She felt him undeniably stiffen beneath her touch, her words obviously striking something within him with a force that she had not intended, and she feared his reaction even more.

But, even though her words were vague and open-ended, Cloud knew exactly what she meant. He could feel the fear and longing emanating from the woman in his arms and knew that she needed him now more than ever. He did not really know how to make her feel better, but he wasn't going to stand there and not try. He closed his eyes and let out a haggard breath of his own, pulling back to meet her brandy-colored eyes, swirling with a loneliness and fear that he had never seen there before, "Tifa…I'm here. I'm not going anywhere this time."

As if to prove it to her, he pulled her tight against him in an embrace that she had never experienced before, his forehead sliding against her own, her crocheted hat causing friction between their fleshes, evoking a small sigh from the back of her throat. He rubbed his nose against her own, breathing hot, spicy air across her chin and mouth before whispering against her lips, "This is my home now…"

Before she could respond with joy or with relief, he tightened his grip on her and crushed his lips to hers in a kiss that burned with more hunger than he had felt for anyone or anything else.

He felt her tense beneath him, her mind obviously trying to process the situation, so he slid his left hand to the back of her neck, burying it in her hair and massaging the base of her hairline gently.

It was then that Tifa's lips hesitantly parted to allow him entrance, Cloud accepting her unspoken invitation by shyly probing his tongue into her mouth, tasting sweetness from some fruity drink that she had imbibed before her visit to the site.

Tifa could not believe that he was here, kissing her, in front of his best friend's grave. Many long years had passed while wishing that he would just hold her, and now that he was she was stunned and amazed, wondering what could possibly happen next. He pulled back slowly, his breath heavy against her cheek as he paused for a moment to calm his rapidly beating heart, presently hammering against his chest.

Before he could react, Tifa leaned back in and pressed her lips against his in another impatient kiss, putting years of unrequited desire, yearning, and affection into it.

Cloud gasped in surprise against her mouth, but managed to find his thoughts enough to yield to the kiss just as ardently. His hand still on her neck, he pulled her body firmly against his own, pressing every part of him that he could against her.

The moment was surreal to say the least, two figures, flush against each one another, pouring their hearts and souls out through wordless communication.

When oxygen became urgently essential, it was Tifa who pulled back, her eyes remaining closed, as if afraid to open them; afraid to wake up and realize that she was still alone on this bluff, "Does this mean you're done chasing your ghosts?"

She whispered as she rested her head against his, bringing a hand up to rest on his chest as she closed her eyes and let a single tear fall. She felt his free hand wrap itself around her waist as his other hand tightened on hers. He squeezed her fingers mildly, as he pulled away and gazed into her burgundy eyes.

She watched as the hint of a smile graced his features, his other hand rising to stroke her cheek, "I was done chasing my ghosts over a year ago. I'm looking for angels now…and I think I found the one that was waiting here the whole time."

Tifa, even through the beauty of the moment, could not help but roll her eyes at the comment.

"Wow, Cloud, what a line!" she said, laughter falling from both her lips and eyes.

She watched as a mischievous grin peeled across his face, rearing her fist back and punching him in the chest. They both began to chuckle, pulling apart from their embrace.

Tifa watched as Cloud squatted down, appearing to tie his bootlaces. What she did not expect was the giant fist of snow to come hurtling her way, plastering itself to the side of her face.

Her jaw dropped, eyes wide, as realism set in…then the war began.

Giant balls of snow began to soar in every direction as they tried their best to soak the other as thoroughly as they could.

After a few minutes of rough-and-tumble snowball fighting, Cloud looked out at the horizon once more, a frown slowly growing on his face.

"We should go. The storm will be here soon, and it's a ten minute walk back to the bar."

He reached a hand down and helped Tifa stand, brushing their clothes off as they did.

As they started their minor trek back to 7th Heaven, Tifa could not help but contemplate that everything might turn out okay after all.

That is, if she had anything to say about it…


End file.
